25 August 2024, 16:33
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Alamy
A suspected knifeman charged with killing three people at a festival in Solingen has been named as Syrian refugee Issa Al H – after the attack on Friday which terrorist group IS has claimed responsibility for.
After an appearance in court, German prosecutors named the suspect as Issa Al H, a 26-year-old asylum seeker from Syria who turned himself in.
Al H has been charged with three counts of murder, attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm.
Read More: Germany knife attack suspect hands himself in after three people killed and four injured at festival
He has also been charged with “being a member of a terrorist organisation abroad”.
German police confirmed on Saturday evening that they had detained a suspect in the Solingen knife attack.
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Three people were killed and at least five were seriously wounded in the festival attack on Friday evening.
The victims were a 56-year-old woman and two men, aged 56 and 57.
“The involvement of this person is currently under intensive investigation,” Dusseldorf police said after the suspect handed himself in.
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Herbert Reul, the state internal affairs minister of North Rhein Westphalia, told Tagesschau on Saturday: “We have been following a hot lead all day.”
“The person we have been searching for all day has been detained a short while ago.”
He is being questioned, Mr Reul said, adding that police not only have “clues” but also have collected “pieces of evidence”.
It comes after the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group said the attacker targeted Christians and is a “soldier of the Islamic State” who carried out the attack “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere”.
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Officials earlier said a 15-year-old boy was also arrested on Saturday.
He was suspected of knowing about the planned attack and failing to inform authorities but was not the attacker, police said.
The three people who died were two men aged 67 and 56 and a 56-year-old woman, authorities said.
They said the attacker appeared to have deliberately aimed for his victims’ throats.
Mayor Tim Kurzbach said in a Facebook post: “This evening, we in Solingen are all in shock. We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together and now have dead and wounded to lament.”
“It breaks my heart that an attack on our city happened,” he added.
One witness, Lars Breitzke, told local paper The Solinger Tageblatt that he knew something was wrong when he saw a performer with an odd expression on their face.
“And then a person fell over just a meter away from me,” Breitzke said.
State Premier Hendrik Wüst said: “In these dark hours, the people of our state and beyond are with Solingen with their hearts and thoughts.
“An act of brutal and senseless violence has struck our state to the heart. The whole of North Rhine-Westphalia stands by the people of Solingen, especially the victims and their families.
“A big thank you goes to the many rescue workers and our police who are fighting for people’s lives at this very moment.”
People had gathered in their masses to celebrate the 650th anniversary of the 160,000-strong city, which is around 15 miles east of Düsseldorf.