Prosecutors claim German stabbing assault possibly to be terrorism
Date
8/25/2024 7:09:01 AM
(MENAFN) German authorities are investigating whether terrorism was the motive behind a brutal stabbing attack that claimed the lives of three people and injured eight others in Solingen on Friday night. The attack occurred just before 10 p.m. at a Festival of Diversity celebrating the city’s 650th anniversary. The assailant, who targeted spectators at the event, managed to escape amidst the ensuing chaos.
During a press conference on Saturday, Markus Caspers from the counter-terrorism unit of the public prosecutor's office indicated that while the exact motive remains under investigation, terrorism cannot be ruled out. He noted that the victims appeared to have no connection to one another, which raises the possibility of a terrorist attack.
The search for the attacker is ongoing, and authorities have yet to identify or apprehend the suspect. Caspers confirmed reports that a 15-year-old boy had been detained in relation to the case. However, he clarified that the teenager is not a suspect in the stabbing but is believed to have had prior knowledge of the attack without reporting it to the authorities. Witnesses claimed to have overheard the boy discussing violent actions similar to the attack that occurred.
Thorsten Fleiss, the chief of operations for the German police on the night of the attack, reported that law enforcement is conducting extensive searches and investigations across the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Solingen is located. The authorities are employing all available resources to track down the perpetrator and determine the motive behind the deadly assault.
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