German police have arrested a man suspected of carrying out the Solingen knife attack that left three people dead and eight injured.
The suspect is a Syrian man, 26, who turned himself in and admitted to the crime, Duesseldorf police and prosecutors said in a joint statement early on Sunday.
He is reportedly affiliated with a home for refugees in Solingen that was searched on Saturday.
“The involvement of this person is currently under intensive investigation,” police said.
The attack, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility, took place on Friday evening at a festival to celebrate the city’s 650th anniversary. A woman, 56, and two men, aged 56 and 67, were killed.
Der Spiegel, citing unidentified security sources, said the suspect’s clothes were smeared with blood.
Police declined immediate comment on the newspaper’s report.
Hendrik Wuest, premier of the North Rhine-Westphalia state, described the attack as an act of terror.
Markus Caspers, a counterterrorism officer, said the possibility of a terrorism motive “cannot be ruled out”.
Watch: Police make second arrest as Islamic State claims responsibility for attack
Jabed Ahmed25 August 2024 07:58
Recap: Major manhunt for knifeman who killed three in Solingen stabbing as teenager arrested
Isis claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday evening, saying the attacker was a “soldier of the Islamic State”, but the group provided no immediate evidence to support the claim.
Read the full report here:
Jabed Ahmed25 August 2024 07:43
Suspect is Syrian man, 26, who admitted to crime, police say
The suspect in custody for a stabbing rampage in Solingen that killed three people and injured eight is a 26-year-old Syrian man, authorities said early on Sunday.
The suspect turned himself in and admitted to the crime, Duesseldorf police and prosecutors said in a joint statement.
“The involvement of this person is currently under intensive investigation,” they said.
The details provide a somewhat fuller picture of an account late on Saturday by a state official who announced on German television the arrest of the man that authorities had been searching for in the 24 hours since the attack.
The attack, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility, occurred on Friday evening at a festival to celebrate the city’s 650-year history.
The suspect is affiliated with a home for refugees in Solingen that had been searched on Saturday, authorities said.
Der Spiegel, citing unidentified security sources, said that the suspect’s clothes had been smeared with blood.
The police declined immediate comment on the Spiegel report.
Hendrik Wuest, premier of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, on Saturday described the attack as an act of terror.
Stuti Mishra25 August 2024 06:37