Bus driver intercepts explosive drone at Leipzig/Halle airport

A bus driver working at Leipzig/Halle airport on Tuesday spotted a low-flying drone and kicked it out of the air, causing it to crash nearby, a senior lawmaker said on Friday. The drone was reported to contain professional explosives and a detonator, and prosecutors have opened a counter-terrorism investigation into the incident, which they described as a serious security threat. Federal prosecutors have not identified the driver or the origin of the drone, nor explained how it entered a restricted area of the airport. Leipzig/Halle serves as a key NATO logistics hub, hosting the Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALI) program and commercial cargo operators such as DHL.

"The drone was equipped with professional explosives and a detonator," senior lawmaker Detlef Seif, a member of the governing CDU party, told journalists. Authorities are conducting a probe into the incident, which was first reported on Wednesday.