05.07.2022, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Oberhausen: Nach einer Explosion, von der auch ein Parteibüro der Linken betroffen ist, liegen noch Splitter und Trümmer auf dem Gehweg. Weil eine politisch motivierte Tat nicht ausgeschlossen werden kann, ist auch der Staatsschutz in die Ermittlungen eingebunden. Foto: David Young/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

In an explosion in downtown Oberhausen on Tuesday night, the Left Party office and several shops were severely damaged. The detonation happened at around 3.20 a.m. at Friedensplatz, said a police spokeswoman from Essen. Nobody was injured.

According to information from the German Press Agency, the police found evidence of a homemade explosive device. Investigators said that a so-called “unconventional explosive and incendiary device” (USBV) could be responsible – built, among other things, with “lightning explosives” such as those found in fireworks. There are no indications of possible perpetrators.

According to a written statement, Yusuf Karacelik, parliamentary group leader of the left in Oberhausen, said on Tuesday: “We are assuming a targeted attack from the right.” Karacelik spoke to the dpa of a “right-wing terrorist attack”. The Federal Chair of the Left, Janine Wissler, and North Rhine-Westphalia party leader Jules El-Khatib also suspect, in their own words, a right-wing extremist background.

The investigators are also pursuing other possible leads. Several members of the left from Oberhausen took part in a demonstration in Berlin at the weekend, which was directed against Germany’s rearmament because of the Ukraine war.

Karacelik confirmed to the dpa that he had been questioned by the police on Tuesday. He emphasized: “It wasn’t a pro-Russian demo, but a peace demo.” It was therefore wrong for the police to investigate in this direction – they should rather look for the perpetrators in the right-wing scene.

A police spokeswoman emphasized that investigations are being carried out in all directions. Because a politically motivated act cannot be ruled out, state security is involved. Experts from the State Criminal Police Office were also on site on Tuesday.