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Local Police

Roughly 50 vehicles have been smeared with what appears to be human blood in the Germany's town of Hanau close to Frankfurt, according to law enforcement.

Cars, building surfaces and postal boxes were marked, sometimes with prohibited symbols, they stated in a release.

Police report they were alerted during the night on Wednesday evening, when a resident noticed that a vehicle in the Lamboy neighborhood of Hanau had been covered with a reddish-hued liquid.

The fluid had been drawn in the pattern of a Nazi symbol, they added.

Officers then discovered numerous other smeared vehicles and building exteriors in the surrounding area.

These symbols are banned in Germany under legislation prohibiting the public display of Nazi-era symbols.

Police say early analysis show the substance was probably human blood.

"At present there remains no clue as to where it came from; officials are presently not aware of any physical harm in association with the event," they added.

City officials said they were trying "to solve the mystery" and have appealed to the residents for details.

A senior representative commented the incident made him stunned and had to be resolved quickly.

"This event affects the core of Hanau and revives the wounds of the extremist attack half a decade ago," he posted on social media, mentioning the death of nine individuals by a gunman aiming at people of immigrant origin in February 2020.