German police defused an explosive device found in the city of Potsdam near Berlin on Friday, local police said on Twitter.  

Police had cordoned off the Christmas market in Potsdam and the surrounding area and sent in special forces after being alerted about a suspicious object delivered to a pharmacy in the area.

"The suspicion of an improvised explosive device has been confirmed," police said on Twitter. They later confirmed that the device had been successfully defused. No more information was available. 

Germany is on high alert for potential terrorist attacks after last year's deadly attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.

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