SOLINGEN: A 26-year-old Syrian man suspected of belonging to a “terrorist group” has confessed to killing three people and injuring eight others in a knife attack at a German street festival, officials announced on Sunday.
The attack occurred on Friday night in the western city of Solingen, where thousands had gathered for the “Festival of Diversity” to celebrate the city’s 650th anniversary. The victims, two men aged 56 and 67 and a 56-year-old woman, were all stabbed in the neck. Four of the wounded remain in serious condition.
The suspect, identified as Issa Al H., turned himself in to authorities and admitted responsibility for the attack. German prosecutors have initiated a “terrorist” investigation and ordered his pre-trial detention, citing strong suspicions of his association with a terrorist group.
The Islamic State group’s Amaq propaganda arm has claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as retaliation for the conflict in Gaza. This claim has not yet been independently verified.
Reports indicate that the suspect, who arrived in Germany in December 2022 with protected immigration status, was not previously known to security services as a dangerous extremist. The attack led to the cancellation of the entire festival.
In response to the attack, the youth wing of Germany’s far-right AfD party, Junge Alternative, plans to demonstrate near the scene, with a counter-protest also scheduled.
A suspect previously arrested during a raid at a nearby asylum seeker hostel is being considered a “witness,” according to German authorities.
