Grenade thrown at German refugee shelter

Unknown assailants hurled a hand grenade at a shelter for asylum seekers in southern Germany on Friday but the device did not explode and no one was injured, police said.

The grenade was filled with explosives but it was not immediately clear whether it was equipped with a detonator, a police spokesman in the town of Villingen-Schwenningen said in a statement.

"Security staff discovered the intact explosive device and notified the police," the statement said, adding that the grenade was thrown over the fence at the facility at about 1:00 am (0000 GMT).

Homes for asylum seekers have been repeatedly attacked in Germany, which saw the arrival of nearly 1.1 million people fleeing war and poverty last year.

Police in Villingen-Schwenningen said about 20 residents of the shelter were temporarily evacuated but were able to return to their rooms in the early morning hours.

In the statement, they asked witnesses with information about the incident to come forward.

The Federal Crime Office on Thursday reported 173 attacks against refugee shelters in 2015, more than six times the number recorded during the previous year. Another 10 cases were reported in January.
SourcE: AFP