Nine-Year-Old Among Five Killed in Magdeburg German Christmas Market Attack.
The German interior minister has disclosed that the suspect in the recent attack is motivated by Islamophobic sentiments, as the number of casualties continues to increase.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed significant concern regarding the critical condition of 40 individuals among the more than 200 injured. Authorities are investigating a Saudi doctor known for his anti-Islam rhetoric as the alleged driver responsible for a car-ramming incident at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, which resulted in five fatalities and numerous injuries.
The attack, which occurred on Friday evening amidst festive celebrations, may intensify the ongoing debate in Germany regarding security and immigration, particularly with a national election approaching in February, where polls indicate a strong performance for far-right parties. Current information about the suspect indicates that he harbored grievances regarding the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany, according to a prosecutor.
On Friday evening, a vehicle was deliberately driven into a crowd in the central German city.
So far, five individuals have lost their lives, including a nine-year-old child and four adults, while approximately 200 others have sustained injuries, with 41 reported to be in serious condition.
The suspect, who was apprehended at the scene, is a 50-year-old Saudi national employed as a doctor, having arrived in Germany in 2006, as stated by Reiner Haseloff, the premier of Saxony-Anhalt. He has been identified in German media as Taleb A, although this identification has not been officially confirmed by German authorities.
The driver utilized emergency exit routes to gradually steer the vehicle toward the market, subsequently accelerating and crashing into the crowd, as reported by a city police official. According to Magdeburg city representative Ronni Krug, the fatalities included a nine-year-old child and four adults, with approximately 41 individuals sustaining serious or critical injuries. “I associate the Christmas market with mulled wine and bratwurst, yet yesterday, lives were lost in this vicinity, and others are battling for survival,” Krug remarked. In response, authorities have decided to close the market for the remainder of the season.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during his visit to the city, expressed his sorrow, stating, “What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people with such brutality,” as he laid a white rose at a church.
ONLINE POSTS Posts on the suspect’s X account, indicated his support for anti-Islam and far-right parties, including the Alternative for Germany (AfD), along with criticism of Germany’s approach to Saudi refugees.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser acknowledged the evident Islamophobia of the suspect but refrained from commenting on the underlying motive. Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democrats and a leading candidate to succeed Scholz as chancellor, urged caution against making premature conclusions.
The tragic incident that occurred in Magdeburg yesterday deviates from the usual patterns, he remarked. Taleb A. participated in several media interviews in 2019, including discussions with the German newspaper FAZ and the BBC, where he detailed his role as an activist assisting Saudi nationals and individuals who had distanced themselves from Islam in their efforts to reach Europe.
“There is no good Islam,” he stated during his interview with FAZ. A source from Saudi Arabia informed Reuters that the kingdom had alerted German authorities regarding the suspect after he expressed extremist opinions on his X account that posed threats to peace and security.
According to a German security source, Saudi authorities had provided multiple warnings in 2023 and 2024, which were forwarded to the appropriate security agencies.
A risk assessment carried out last year by both state and federal criminal investigators concluded that the individual did not present “any specific danger,” as reported by the Welt newspaper, citing security sources. Both Germany’s domestic and foreign intelligence agencies refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation.
Andrea Reis visited the market on Friday and returned on Saturday with her daughter Julia to place a candle near the church overlooking the scene, recounting how she narrowly avoided being struck by the vehicle. Tears streamed down her face as she recounted the harrowing experience. “Children screaming, crying for mama. You can’t forget that,” she expressed. Scholz’s Social Democrats are currently lagging behind both the far-right AfD and the leading conservative opposition in opinion polls ahead of the snap elections scheduled for February 23.
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The AfD, which has garnered significant support in the former East, has been vocal in advocating for stricter immigration policies. Their chancellor candidate, Alice Weidel, along with co-leader Tino Chrupalla, released a statement denouncing the attack.
German football has honored the victims of the Magdeburg attack by observing moments of silence prior to Bundesliga matches this evening. Players from Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg are depicted below participating in a minute’s silence in Leverkusen.
“There are always matters of greater significance than football,” remarked Freiburg coach Christian Guenter. Earlier, the Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL), the governing body of the Bundesliga, released a statement recommending that silences be observed and that players don black armbands as a mark of respect. “In these challenging times, our thoughts are with the victims, as well as their families and friends,” stated the DFL. “We extend our wishes for a swift recovery to those injured.”