Police: "Serious Plans for Explosions Thwarted" at Hannover Stadium

(ATR)Federal authorities say they have "concrete evidence" of a plot to set off a bomb at a soccer stadium in Hannover, Germany.

The HDI-Arena in Hannover, which seats 45,000, was set to stage an international friendly between Germany andthe Netherlands on Tuesday.

Germany's Lower Saxony police chief Volker Kluwe told local media that "serious plans for explosions"forced the cancellation of the match about an hour before kick-off.

During a late-night press conference on Tuesday, German authorities said they have not found any explosives and have not made any arrests.

"It is only a speculation, that the German team is the aim of the terrorists,"Reinhard Rauball, head of the German Football League, said during the presser.

Shortly after the Hannover stadium was evacuated, the German national team alerted fans to their safety in a tweet: "#DieMannschaft are under police protection and have been escorted to a safe place."

#DieMannschaft ist an einem sicheren Ort. Das Spiel findet nicht statt. #GERNED https://t.co/XWkJkAbaG1

News concerning the bomb scare in Hannover comes four days after three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the Stade de France in Pariswhere the national team was playing Germany.

This marked one of six terror attacks that took place in Paris on Nov. 13, killing at least 129 people and injuring hundreds more.

The attacks were carried out by eight gunmen and suicide bombers at six locations across the French capital.

France and England were still scheduled to play an international friendly Tuesday night at London's Wembley Stadium.

CNN reports that in the lead up to the game, London police increased their presence around the stadium and at several busy spots across the British capital.

In honor of those lost in the Nov. 13 Paris terror attacks, Wembley Stadium is lit up in the colors of the national flag of France.

Written byNicole Bennett

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