Fake bomb raises alarm on German train

BERLIN (AP) _ Police evacuated 450 passengers from a German train after the discovery of a fake bomb, weeks after suitcase bombs failed to explode on two other trains. <br/><br/>A cleaner raised the alarm

Saturday, August 26th 2006, 10:30 am

By: News On 6

BERLIN (AP) _ Police evacuated 450 passengers from a German train after the discovery of a fake bomb, weeks after suitcase bombs failed to explode on two other trains.

A cleaner raised the alarm Friday after opening a bag left in the washroom of an intercity train in southern Germany, police said.

The train, headed for Dortmund, was halted in Aschaffenburg station, where security forces evacuated the passengers and investigated the bag, police in nearby Wuerzburg said.

Explosives specialists who examined the bag found a bottle containing a liquid hooked up to a realistic looking detonator, police said.

Bavaria state police opened an investigation.

Federal police already are investigating a previous, alleged attempt to blow up two trains in western Germany.

Four people, including two Lebanese men suspected of planting the bombs on July 31, have been detained in Germany and Lebanon in the past week. The crude explosives, hidden in wheeled suitcases, failed to explode.

The main suspects are accused of being part of a German-based terrorist organization. Prosecutors say they are treating it as a ``no-name'' group rather than a known entity.