Local media report that a bomb has gone off near a migration office outside the city of Nuremberg, Germany.
The bomb was apparently contained in a suitcase before exploding outside a center used for processing migrants in Zirndorf. According to the latest reports the device consisted of a suitcase filled with aerosol cans.
Neo-Nazi marches previously seen in Zirndorf
So far there have been no reports of any injuries or fatalities as a result of the blast, but security services were seen evacuating the area. Local police have been deployed to a center used to accommodate refugees, as well as a branch of the German office for asylum seekers.
Police have since said that a man and woman were spotted planting the suitcase as an improvised bomb. Zirndorf has previously been the site of neo-Nazi marches, suggesting hostility towards migrants.
It is the latest violent incident to affect Europe, following on from the killing of a French priest during a service on Tuesday. The continent remains on edge due to the continued threat of terrorist attacks from the so-called Islamic State.
Violent attacks continue to rock Europe
A few days ago an asylum seeker blew himself up in the German town of Ansbach. Mohammad Daleel tried to get into a music festival in the town but was refused entrance. The 27-year-old then detonated the device that was strapped to his body, injuring 15 bystanders and ending his own life.
While Daleel could have caused far more damage inside the festival, the attack was certainly sinister. A video was found in which he pledged allegiance to ISIS before setting off to blow himself up.
Tensions are rising between refugees and locals due to the large number of arrivals fleeing violence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has implemented an open door policy for migrants, but the move has led to fierce criticism in the country.
The string of violent attacks shows that social unrest appears to be worsening following the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers in the past year. Merkel is just one of many European leaders struggling with the refugee question and its impact on society.
