Berlin Police Conduct Room Searches Amid RAF Manhunt

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a special operation by the police special operations team, also known as SEK, took place in Berlin-Friedrichshain. It has been reported that gunshots were heard during the operation. The news was initially reported by “Bild”. The operation was centered around the manhunt for two notorious terrorists affiliated with the Red Army Faction (RAF), namely Volker Staub and Burkhard Garweg.

As part of the operation, the officers reportedly searched a former commercial location, which was believed to have parked construction trailers. The Berlin squad, armed with submachine guns, were not the only ones on site. Officers from Lower Saxony were also reported to be present. “Bild” also reported that gunshots were heard during the operation.

The operation began at approximately 7:30 a.m. in a commercial area located at the corner of Markgrafendamm and Persiusstrasse. The spokeswoman did not provide further details initially. However, a reporter from dpa observed that the police took two men into custody. This observation was not immediately confirmed by the spokeswoman.

“The LKA NI, in collaboration with @polizeiberlin and @bka, is conducting searches at Markgrafendamm in #Berlin in relation to the search for Ernst-Volker S. and Burkhard G.,” stated the Berlin police on X. However, due to the ongoing investigation, they were unable to provide further details at that time.

The Markgrafendamm, which runs between Elsenbrücke and Ostkreuz train station parallel to the Ringbahn route, was the main location of the operation. Due to these events, train traffic on lines S41, S42, S8 and S9 between the Treptower Park and Ostkreuz or Warschauer Straße stations was halted. This was announced by the Berlin S-Bahn at 7:11 a.m.