Authorities have defused a drone with explosives found at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport. The country's top security official calls it a “new threat quality” and says it was “professionally” prepared.

BERLIN (AP) — For the second time in just over two years, Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport has narrowly avoided a potential disaster, exposing the vulnerability of Europe’s critical infrastructure.

A drone carrying explosives was found late Tuesday at the airport and later defused. The country’s top security official said the incident was a “new threat quality” and indicated it was “professionally” prepared.

Separately, “an object” collided with a plane Tuesday night, police said. The plane suffered only minor damage.

On Thursday night, federal prosecutors, who handle significant national security cases, took over the case from state prosecutors. They said the incident “constitutes a serious attack on the transportation and logistics infrastructure in Germany” which is “capable of undermining the external and internal security” of the country.