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A car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday killed five people and injured over 200. The German government promised a full investigation into potential security failures.
Suspect Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist, drove a car into the crowded market. Authorities are examining prior online death threats and his past legal troubles.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and intelligence officials will testify before a parliamentary committee on December 30.
Faeser said the investigation will leave “no stone unturned” in determining what security services knew before the attack. She noted the attacker’s unusual profile, saying he acted “like a terrorist although ideologically he was clearly an enemy of Islam”.
Abdulmohsen previously identified as a “Saudi atheist” and criticized Germany’s refugee policies online. He also expressed support for far-right theories about “Islamisation” of Europe.
How the deadly Christmas market attack in Germany ?
A car plowed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday evening, killing five people and injuring 200. The dead include four women aged 45, 52, 67, and 75, and a 9-year-old boy named Andre Gleissner. Forty-one of the injured are in serious condition.
A 50-year-old Saudi doctor living in Germany is in custody, suspected of murder, attempted murder, and bodily harm. A judge ordered him held pending a possible indictment. Media identified him as Taleb A., a psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist residing in Germany since 2006. His online presence reveals anti-Islam sentiments and criticism of German authorities. “straightforward labels like ‘Islamist terrorism’ or ‘extreme right-wing’ don’t fully reflect the dizzying range of beliefs and ideologies we see,” observed Ken McCallum, head of Britain’s MI5. Prosecutors suggest a possible motive is “dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany.”
German authorities are facing criticism for security lapses. The Federal Criminal Police Office received an unspecific warning from Saudi Arabia in November 2023 about the suspect. He was known for numerous online posts, contact with authorities, and making threats but was not considered violent. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees also received a warning about him last year.
The attack prompted some German towns to cancel Christmas markets. Berlin increased police presence at its markets. Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced criticism during a visit to Magdeburg on Saturday. This attack follows other extremist incidents in Germany, including a knife attack in Solingen in August and a 2016 truck attack at a Berlin Christmas market. The market in Magdeburg reopened on Sunday, with residents paying respects at a makeshift memorial.
Suspect appear in court in deadly Christmas market attack
A suspect in the deadly Christmas market attack is in custody after a judge’s order on Saturday. German authorities are facing criticism for their possible role in the attack’s prevention. The suspect appeared in court late Saturday night. The court ordered the suspect held pending trial. More details about the attack and the suspect have yet to be released.
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