The Islamic State group on Saturday (local time) claimed responsibility for a knife attack in Solingen, Germany, which killed three people and injured eight others, according to their Amaq news site. The group stated that the attacker, whom they referred to as a “soldier of the Islamic State,” targeted Christians in retaliation for the treatment of Muslims in Palestine and other parts of the world.
Police conducted raids on an asylum seekers’ home in Solingen’s city center, including the deployment of special forces, as reported by the German news agency DPA.A police spokesperson confirmed that they were carrying out police activities based on the tips they had received.
The victims of the attack were two men, aged 67 and 56, and a 56-year-old woman. Police believe that the attacker deliberately targeted the victims’ throats.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of knowing about the planned attack and failing to inform authorities, but he was not the attacker.
Thorsten Fleiss, the chief of operations on Friday night, said that police are conducting searches and investigations throughout the state of North Rhine Westphalia, which will continue throughout the day. He acknowledged the challenge of piecing together available evidence and witness testimony to form a comprehensive picture of the incident. Fleiss also mentioned that several knives have been found, but he could not confirm if any of them were used by the perpetrator during the attack.
German interior minister Nancy Faeser visited Solingen on Saturday evening, assuring that the government would do everything possible to support the city and its people. Faeser had recently proposed tightening weapons laws to allow only knives with a blade measuring up to 6 centimeters to be carried in public, rather than the current allowance of 12 centimeters.
The attack took place during the “Festival of Diversity,” which was celebrating the city’s 650th anniversary. The festival, which began on Friday and was scheduled to run through Sunday, featured several stages offering live music, cabaret, and acrobatics. The attack occurred in front of one of the stages, and the rest of the festival was subsequently canceled.
Police conducted raids on an asylum seekers’ home in Solingen’s city center, including the deployment of special forces, as reported by the German news agency DPA.A police spokesperson confirmed that they were carrying out police activities based on the tips they had received.
The victims of the attack were two men, aged 67 and 56, and a 56-year-old woman. Police believe that the attacker deliberately targeted the victims’ throats.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of knowing about the planned attack and failing to inform authorities, but he was not the attacker.
Thorsten Fleiss, the chief of operations on Friday night, said that police are conducting searches and investigations throughout the state of North Rhine Westphalia, which will continue throughout the day. He acknowledged the challenge of piecing together available evidence and witness testimony to form a comprehensive picture of the incident. Fleiss also mentioned that several knives have been found, but he could not confirm if any of them were used by the perpetrator during the attack.
German interior minister Nancy Faeser visited Solingen on Saturday evening, assuring that the government would do everything possible to support the city and its people. Faeser had recently proposed tightening weapons laws to allow only knives with a blade measuring up to 6 centimeters to be carried in public, rather than the current allowance of 12 centimeters.
The attack took place during the “Festival of Diversity,” which was celebrating the city’s 650th anniversary. The festival, which began on Friday and was scheduled to run through Sunday, featured several stages offering live music, cabaret, and acrobatics. The attack occurred in front of one of the stages, and the rest of the festival was subsequently canceled.