– Two bombs explode in Dresden <br /><br /> – “Aggression is on the rise” – German interior minister <br /><br /> – Weekend events planned for reunification anniversary <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Two improvised bombs exploded in the eastern German city of Dresden on Monday evening.<br /><br /> One device was at a mosque, the second was at an international conference centre.<br /><br /> “Aggression, including that against practicers of Islam in Germany, is on the rise, so it is even more appalling that an explosives attack took place yesterday evening in Dresden at a mosque and a congress centre, just one day before the tenth anniversary of the German-Islam conference,” German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Was anyone hurt?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> No.<br /><br /> Police say no one has been injured.<br /><br /> The imam of the mosque was inside the building with his wife and sons when the first device went off. <br /><br /> They were not hurt, but the building has been damaged by pressure waves.<br /><br /> Shortly afterwards, the International Congress centre was damaged by an improvised device. <br /><br /> Patrons were evacuated from the bar of an hotel nearby.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Dresdenmosqueand congresscentre hit by twobombblasts https://t.co/MsBAO6uijo— Guardian World (@guardianworld) September 27, 2016 <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Why Dresden?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The city was the cradle of the anti-Islam PEGIDA grassroots movement.<br /><br /> Weekly rallies attracted around 20,000 supporters at the height of its popularity at the start of 2015.<br /><br /> More generally, the influx of around one million migrants to Germany last year has increased social tensions.<br /><br /> There have been some high-profile attacks on refugee shelters, particularly in eastern Germany.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Timed to coincide with reunification celebrations?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> “Even if we so far have no claim of responsibility, we must go on the basis that the motive was xenophobic,” the president of Dresden Police Horst Kretschmar told police.<br /><br /> He said police believe there is a link to the coming weekend’s celebrations in the city to mark the anniversary of German reunification on October 3, 1990.<br /><br /> Has security been stepped up?<br /><br /> Partly.<br /><br /> During the night, police officers were sent to protect other mosques in the city.<br />
