Bomb suspect 'arrested'

Several media on Tuesday cited security sources who reported that police had arrested a suspect in Bonn earlier in the day. They identified him as Omar D., a Somali-born man regarded by police as an Islamist extremist. According to the reports, eyewitnesses claim to have seen a man matching his description at Bonn's train station around the time the package containing the bomb was spotted by a passer-by. Police were said to be trying to determine whether the suspect was actually at the train station on Monday afternoon.

Bonn's daily newspaper, the General-Anzeiger, also cited security sources who said that a second suspect had also been arrested.

Neither arrest has been confirmed by police.

Police in Cologne, who were leading the investigation, released a computer-generated composite picture of a suspect based on the description of a 14-year-old eyewitness. The picture shows a tall, thin, dark-skinned man between the ages of 30 and 35.

Carsten Möllers, a spokesman for the Cologne police department, told the public broadcaster Phoenix that they had launched an open-ended investigation and were working closely with the Federal Police and other security agencies. He also said there would be no further official comment on the case for the time being, for "reasons related to investigative tactics."

It also remains unclear whether the bomb was fully functional. The mass-circulation newspaper Bild quoted a security source who said investigators had not yet found a detonator. Möllers also declined to confirm this report.

The bomb, which was found on Monday afternoon, caused major delays in the Bonn region during the evening rush hour. It also disrupted long-distance trains traveling through the region.

pfd/sej (Reuters, dpa, AFP)