At least two people, including a child, were killed, and more than 60 others injured when a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday. German police have arrested Taleb A., a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor, identified as the driver of the vehicle.
Initial reports suggested that 11 people had died in the incident, but officials later clarified that the death toll stood at two.
Reiner Haseloff, Premier of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where Magdeburg is located, confirmed that the suspect had been a permanent resident of Germany for about 20 years. Reports from his social media profile indicate that Taleb A. is an ex-Muslim, a critic of Islam, and a supporter of the far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is known for its anti-immigration stance.
According to reports, Taleb is wanted by Saudi Arabia on charges related to terrorism and smuggling girls from the Middle East to EU countries. However, Germany has refused to extradite him to Saudi Arabia and granted him asylum despite the charges against him.
“At this moment, we believe this was the act of a lone offender, and there is no further danger to the city. The suspect has been apprehended,” Haseloff told a section of media.
According to German media, the suspect had rented the BMW used in the attack. Authorities initially suspected that the car might contain explosives, but no such devices were found during their search.
Eyewitnesses reported that the car drove directly into the crowd gathered at the market, heading toward the town hall. Emergency services and police swiftly arrived at the scene, and the market manager instructed visitors to evacuate the city centre.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concern and solidarity with the victims.
“The reports from Magdeburg suggest something terrible has happened. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours,” Scholz said in a statement on X.
This tragedy comes eight years after a similar attack in Berlin, where a truck driven by Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist ties, killed 12 people and injured dozens at a Christmas market.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the incident, issuing a statement of solidarity.
“The Kingdom affirms its position in rejecting violence, and expresses its sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of the Federal Republic of Germany, wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” the statement read.
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