Bus Driver Foils Drone Attack at German Airport

A bus driver at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany kicked a low-flying drone carrying explosives, potentially thwarting a planned attack, according to Detlef Seif, a member of parliament from the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

The driver spotted the drone late on Tuesday evening while working at the airport and kicked it, causing it to crash nearby. Prosecutors said the drone was fitted with a professional-grade explosive device and a detonator.

Federal prosecutors have opened a counterterrorism investigation into the incident, describing it as a serious attack with potential implications for both domestic and foreign security. Authorities have not yet disclosed the drone's origin.

Leipzig/Halle Airport is a major cargo and logistics hub and serves as the main operational base for NATO's Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS) program. German media reported that the drone was found near several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo planes.

Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster praised the driver's actions but warned against others imitating the dangerous move.

(Reuters, Lud)