Islamic militant group claims responsibility for horror knife attack in Germany that left 3 dead, several injured
Islamic State claimed responsibility Saturday for a knife attack at a festival in Germany that left three people dead and eight hurt, according to reports.
The terrifying attack, which caused panic at the event in Solingen, was “in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere,” the militant group said on its Telegram account.
The attacker has been on the run for almost 24 hours.
A 15-year-old was arrested Saturday in connection with the German incident, authorities said.
A second arrest was made in connection to the deadly attack but no details about the person taken into custody were provided, per BBC.
Police cautioned the young suspect was not the attacker — but instead had been accused of failing to report a crime, according to CNN.
Witnesses claimed the teen had spoken to an unidentified person about “intentions that would match with the crime” shortly before the attack, senior public prosecutor Markus Caspers said in a news conference reported by the Washington Post.
Authorities noted multiple knives were found near the scene, Police Chief Markus Röhrl told reporters.
The attacker specifically targeted victims’ necks, police said, as per the Washington Post.
Three people — two men, aged 67 and 56, and a 56-year-old woman — were killed, police said.
Among the eight hurt, four are “very seriously injured” and in the hospital, police said.
The mayhem unfolded at around 9:30 p.m. in a central square of “Festival of Diversity,” an event marking the 650th anniversary of Solingen.
The attack occurred close to a stage during a musical act, according to police.
Organizers canceled the festival’s remaining lineup in response to the attack.
“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,” Mayor Tim Kurzbach said on Facebook.
“It breaks my heart that an attack on our city happened,” he added.
The incident came less than a day before an antisemitic attack in southern France, in which someone set two cars on fire outside a synagogue.
With Post wires
