Shock in Magdeburg: Auto attack on Christmas market demands five dead!

Shock in Magdeburg: Auto attack on Christmas market demands five dead!

Magdeburg, Deutschland - shock in Germany! The contemplative pre -Christmas period in Magdeburg turned a terrible incident into a nightmare. A car raced into a crowded Christmas market and left a trace of destruction. At least five people are dead and the number of injuries could be up to 200!

The tragedy occurred on Friday evening around 7 p.m. when the driver drove into the crowd at high speed. The governor of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, confirmed on Saturday that the number of fatalities rose from two to five. There is also a child under the victims. "What a terrible act to hurt and kill so many people with such brutality," said Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

the suspect and his motifs

The alleged perpetrator was quickly caught and identified as a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia, who has lived in Germany since 2006. He was previously unknown to the security authorities. Local media report that the suspect, Taleb A., is a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. His social media are full of anti-Islamic statements and criticism of religion while he described himself as a former Muslim.

The Saudi Arab government condemned the attack and expressed its sympathy on the victims. "The kingdom reaffirms its rejection of violence and expresses his sympathy for the families of the deceased," it said in an explanation.

The investigation is in full swing and it is believed that the suspect has acted alone. "According to everything we know, there is no further danger to the city," said Haseloff. The police searched his home, but found no further evidence. The use of a rental car could help the investigators find out more about the offender's deeds.

political effects and memories

This terrible incident comes at a particularly sensitive time in German politics. Chancellor Scholz recently lost a vote in parliament, which results in early new elections for February 23. Experts fear that the attack could play the right -wing populist parties, especially the AfD.

The terrorism expert Peter Neumann commented concernly about the perpetrator's profile. "A 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany and supports the AfD-that was not on my radar," said Neumann. The incident is reminiscent of the terrible attack on the Christmas market in Berlin in 2016, in which twelve people died.

"We enter an election period, and the debate about migration is already very polarized. This will only pour more fire into the fire," warned Raphael Bossong from the German Institute for International and Security Policy. The safety precautions of Christmas markets are now under special observation, since such markets should actually be protected against traffic.