German soldiers attacked by ‘NATO haters’

Two servicemen have reportedly been injured in an assault outside of a base in the Netherlands.

Two German soldiers have been attacked outside the NATO operational headquarters in Brunssum, Netherlands, according to dpa news agency and Der Spiegel. The assailants, who are yet to be identified, reportedly shouted anti-NATO slogans.

A personal protection officer and a staff officer who were both in plain clothes were attacked in a wooded area just outside the base on Monday evening, Der Spiegel said. Both sustained light injuries but are in good condition, a spokesperson for the German Defense Ministry told journalists, adding that the ministry is treating the incident as “security-related.”

The attackers, who were wearing masks, allegedly attacked the soldiers verbally and physically while shouting slogans such as “we hate NATO” in English. The identities and motives of the assailants are still being investigated, the reports said, adding that the Dutch military police are involved.

According to Der Spiegel, one of the officers testified that a group of ten men stopped him and demanded money. He managed to flee the scene and reach a hotel, where he called the police. When the officers arrived, the same group reportedly had already attacked the second officer but fled the scene. No arrests were made.

NATO raised the security alert level to ‘Bravo’ shortly after the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, signaling an increased risk of terrorist activities and sabotage against NATO facilities and military personnel. Soldiers were specifically instructed not to appear in uniform outside of the bases, according to Der Spiegel.

Last summer, hundreds of people took part in a protest against NATO’s increased military spending plans ahead of the bloc’s summit in The Hague. They also protested against Israel’s campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza and the Iran war.