An ultra-left group called “Kommando Angry Birds” has claimed responsibility for setting fire to signal cables on a key railway line near Leverkusen. The incident caused major disruptions to Deutsche Bahn trains on the Cologne–Düsseldorf route.
According to police and Deutsche Bahn, on Friday morning, embankments and cable shafts caught fire at two locations between Leverkusen and Langenfeld. The blaze damaged critical signal cables, forcing a complete halt to train traffic on the line. The company reported “extensive damage.” Repair work is ongoing, and no timeline has been given for restoring normal operations.
The following day, a letter appeared on the left-wing portal Indymedia.org claiming responsibility on behalf of “Kommando Angry Birds.” The group stated that they had placed homemade incendiary devices (using timers and lighter fluid) in two cable shafts — one near a bridge over the Wupper River and another along the track.
As their motive, the authors cited “mass species extinction caused by technological progress.” The group had previously claimed responsibility for similar acts of sabotage on railways in the region in 2025.
Police in North Rhine-Westphalia are treating the incident as a possible act of sabotage and are investigating with the involvement of state security services. NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul condemned the attack and called for stronger measures against such extremist activities online.
This is not the first such incident on German railways in recent years. Experts note a growing threat from left-wing radicals who oppose major infrastructure projects and “technological progress.”