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A doctor from Saudi Arabia Friday evening drove a dark BMW straight into a crowd gathered at the Christmas market in Germany’s Magdeburg, killing at least 2 people and injured over 60. Fifteen people are in a critical condition and a small child was among the fatalities, government officials said.
On Friday evening, a car ploughed into a crowd at the popular Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, located around 100 miles west of Berlin. Emergency workers were seen treating victims on the ground at the market, surrounded by blood. Makeshift tents have been put up at the site and witnesses reported hearing cries and screams.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the attack interrupted the anticipation of a peaceful Christmas. Chancellor OIaf Scholz posted on X: “My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives. We stand beside them and beside the people of Magdeburg.”
A 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia has been arrested in connection with the violent attack. The suspect, identified as Taleb A, was taken into custody after police linked him to the incident, which occurred just days before Christmas.
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Reiner Haseloff, the premier of Saxony-Anhalt, described the attack as “a terrible event, particularly now in the days before Christmas” as he was en route to Magdeburg. According to security sources cited by Spiegel, Taleb A. first arrived in Germany in March 2006 and was granted refugee status in July 2016. He works as a consultant in psychiatry and psychotherapy.
While the investigation is ongoing, Haseloff emphasized that authorities currently believe the suspect acted alone, assuring the public that there is no further threat to the city.
It’s since the Middle Ages that Christmas markets are a part of the German culture as an annual holiday tradition. In Berlin alone, more than 100 markets opened late last month and brought the smells of mulled wine, roasted almonds and bratwurst to the capital. More than 1,000 temporary Christmas markets pop up every year in Germany, and they have been the target of terrorists in the past. In 2016, an extremist rammed a truck into a crowd in Berlin, killing 13.
Leaders from around the world have expressed their shock and condolences following the attack. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote, “My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” while Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck called the news “terrible.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also extended his sympathies, writing, “We pray for the families of the victims.”
The Saudi Arabian government condemned the attack, with the foreign ministry confirming that the suspect acted alone. The city’s officials also expressed their sorrow, with Saxony-Anhalt’s state premier, Reiner Haseloff, describing the tragedy as “devastating”, as reported by Reuters.
German authorities are trying to determine the motive behind the attack. Police have cordoned off the area, and hospitals in the city are treating the victims. The attack has shaken the community, which had gathered to enjoy the festive season in peace.
As the investigation progresses, officials are working to understand whether this was an isolated incident or part of a larger pattern. The public remains on edge, but authorities have reassured citizens that they are doing everything possible to ensure safety.
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