IS claim responsibility after three people dead and four injured in Germany festival knife attack
24 August 2024, 20:57 | Updated: 24 August 2024, 21:16
The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for a knife attack in Solingen, Germany, that killed three people and wounded eight others, according to its Amaq news site.
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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”.
The knifeman, who is still on the run, attacked people at random as they celebrated at around 9:45pm on Friday evening at a music festival.
Writing on X, German police said: "There is currently a major police operation during the 650th anniversary celebrations in #Solingen.
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"There are several dead and injured due to a knife attack. Please avoid the area of Solingen city center. Further information will follow."
Armed police were present on the scene and have deployed 40 tactical vehicles in the hunt for the stabbing suspect, the publication says.
Mayor Tim Kurzbach said in a Facebook post that “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.”
The suspect is still at large, according to Germany's interior ministry. The attack is being treated as terror.
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.
