The joyous atmosphere of the Solingen city festival was shattered by a horrific stabbing attack that left three dead and several critically injured. In a shocking development, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the violence, asserting that the assailant, identified as a Syrian national and a resident of a local refugee shelter, acted in retaliation for perceived injustices against Muslims. Eyewitness accounts reveal that the attacker shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the assault and had previously boasted about his intentions to a young bystander. As investigations unfold, police are methodically piecing together witness statements and forensic evidence, while the community grapples with the aftermath of this tragic event and the looming threat of terrorism.
The details surrounding the tragic stabbing attack at the Solingen city festival have taken a grave turn with the Islamic State claiming responsibility for the violence. Reports indicate that the assailant, who allegedly sought revenge for perceived injustices against Muslims, was arrested in a refugee shelter, thought to be a Syrian national. Witnesses have come forward, stating that the attacker shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the assault and had previously expressed his intent to harm others, revealing a chilling intent behind his actions.
The police have been cautious in releasing details about the perpetrator, likely in an effort to maintain the integrity of the investigation. Investigators suspect that the attack was targeted, with witnesses noting that the assailant aimed for the necks of his victims. This brutal incident resulted in the deaths of three individuals, with several others left critically injured.
Authorities have emphasized the importance of piecing together witness statements and forensic evidence before making any public declarations about the suspect's identity and motives. The situation remains tense as investigators work to understand the full scope of the attack and its implications for community safety and security.
In light of this incident, the response from local officials and law enforcement has been one of concern and urgency, as they mobilize resources to ensure the perpetrator is brought to justice and to reassure the public in the aftermath of this horrifying event.
Junge Freiheit: After the terrorist attack on the
Solingen city festival, an arrest was made in an asylum. The "Islamic
State" claimed responsibility for the attack. Now details are emerging
from witness statements.
Düsseldorf - The terrorist organization "Islamic State" has claimed responsibility for the attack in Solingen. According to Zeit,
IS has stated in a statement that it was responsible for the terrorist
attack: "The attacker of a gathering of Christians in the city of
Solingen in Germany yesterday is a soldier of the Islamic State and he
took revenge for the Muslims in Palestine and everywhere else," says the
letter, which is said to be available to Zeit. As the Bild newspaper reported, the police stormed a refugee shelter and arrested one person - allegedly a Syrian.
Several
witness statements had previously suggested that the crime had an
Islamist background. "One witness reported that the suspect shouted
'Allahu Akbar' during his actions," the Welt newspaper quoted police documents on Saturday.
According
to the documents, another witness stated during questioning that "the
unknown suspect was 'known from Solingen' and that he was also a visitor
to a local mosque."
Police remain tight-lipped about Solingen perpetrator
The
authorities themselves had also confirmed the suspicion that it was a
case of terrorism. "The initial suspicion arises from the fact that no
other motive is apparent. We therefore conclude that this could possibly
be a terrorist act," said an official on Saturday at the first press
conference on the attack, in which three people were killed.
Before
his attack, the perpetrator is said to have boasted about his plan to a
15-year-old youth. "Today I'm going to stab everyone!", the alleged
attacker said, according to the Bild newspaper, which also cited witness statements. According to information from Der Spiegel, the youth is said to be a Kyrgyz man who lives in a refugee shelter and was arrested after the attack.
Nevertheless,
the police remained tight-lipped about revealing more about the
perpetrator's motive or his appearance. The knife attacker went into
hiding immediately after his attack on the celebration of the 650th
birthday of the city of Solingen on Friday evening and is on the run.
The police have been asking for relevant information since then.
After terrorist attack in Solingen: Police remain silent
Düsseldorf - For investigative reasons, the police have not yet released
a description of the perpetrator of the suspected terrorist attack in
Solingen. "We have a lot of clues, but the most important task for the
investigators is to put all of these descriptions together. Nothing
would be more damaging than releasing a description now and then, in the
course of the investigation, it turns out that the person had a
completely different appearance," said the press spokesman for the
Düsseldorf police headquarters, Marcel Fiebig, on Saturday at a press
conference on the occasion of the knife attack that had occurred less
than 24 hours earlier in the center of Solingen. The city had celebrated
its 650th anniversary there under the motto "Festival of Diversity."
According
to police director Thorsten Fleiß - who was in charge of the operation
on the evening of the attack - several people reported to the police at
around 9:37 p.m. because a "male person was deliberately stabbing
people". Before his attack, however, the perpetrator was observed by two
women telling a 15-year-old boy about his plan. "There are two
witnesses who heard a conversation before the attack and then reported
it to the police," said Fleiß. However, the authorities cannot release
any further information about the young person for reasons of child
protection.
Police speak of “targeted attacks on the neck”
Shortly
afterwards, after stabbing festival-goers standing around with a knife,
the attacker fled in the resulting mass panic. "Based on current
information, we assume that these were targeted attacks on the neck," he
said, summarizing the investigations into the Solingen attack so far.
So
far, at least three people have died in this way. Another eight people
are still in hospital, some with serious injuries. "Four critically
injured, two seriously injured, two slightly injured. This explains the
eight injured and the accusation of eight counts of attempted murder,"
explained police spokesman Fiebig. The police are currently
investigating against unknown persons. The accusations include not only
the attempted murder but also the triple murder.
Authorities consider video of the crime in Solingen to be authentic
At
first, the authorities assumed it was a massacre. But then they
suspected a terrorist attack. "The initial suspicion is that no other
motive is apparent. We therefore conclude that it could possibly be a
terrorist act." The victims showed no connection to one another.
A
video is currently circulating on social media that the authorities
consider to be authentic. "We are evaluating extensive evidence and
assume that this video shows the crime," confirmed Police Director
Fleiß. However, this witness material is also not suitable for making
statements about the identity of the perpetrator in Solingen.
Officials across Germany are searching for suspected terrorist
When
asked by the press, he confirmed that no weapons ban had been declared
for the Solingen festival beforehand, nor was there video surveillance
in the area. "Of course there are forces on site, but there are also
several thousand visitors, so it is not easy to get hold of a person in
the general panic. But the police were on site very quickly," said the
police director, praising the work of the authorities.
Police
stations across North Rhine-Westphalia are currently on high alert.
House searches are being carried out in various places in the state. But
police officers are also currently searching for the perpetrator in the
rest of the country. The federal police are currently also searching
for the fugitive perpetrator on trains.
