The attack on Friday evening targeted crowds of market visitors celebrating the pre-Christmas season
German authorities are investigating a Saudi man with a history of anti-Islam rhetoric as the suspected driver in a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg that killed five people, officials said on Saturday. The attack on Friday evening targeted crowds of market visitors celebrating the pre-Christmas season and takes place amid a heated debate over security and immigration during Germany’s election campaign.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz told “reporters.
“We have now learned that over 200 people have been injured. Almost 40 are so seriously injured that we must be very worried about them.”
A 50-year-old Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany for nearly two decades, was apprehended at the scene. Police conducted a thorough search of his home overnight. The motive is still unknown, and authorities have not disclosed the suspect’s name yet. He has been identified in German media as Taleb A.
A spokesperson for a specialized rehabilitation clinic for criminals with addictions in Bernburg confirmed that the suspect previously served as a psychiatrist there, although he hasn’t been present since October due to illness and vacation leave. His posts on X reflected support for anti-Islam and far-right parties, such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD), along with criticism of Germany’s approach to Saudi refugees.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the suspect’s Islamophobia was clear to see, but refrained from discussing motives. In 2019, Taleb A. participated in several media interviews, including with the German newspaper FAZ and the BBC, where he talked about his role as an activist aiding Saudi Arabians and ex-Muslims in their escape to Europe.
A Saudi source told Reuters that the country alerted German authorities regarding the attacker after he shared extremist views on his personal X account that posed threats to peace and security. According to the source, these warnings were issued several times since his departure from Saudi Arabia in 2006.