SOLINGEN, Germany (AP) — The Islamic State The group claimed responsibility for a knife attack in Solingen, Germany, on Saturday that left three people dead and eight others injured, in accordance with its news site Amaq.
The group said the attacker targeted Christians and was an “Islamic State soldier” who carried out the attack “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and around the world.”
The police have begun a raid on an asylum seekers' home in downtown Solingen, including with special forces, reported the German news agency DPA.
“We have received information and are currently taking police action,” said a police spokesman.
Special police units were involved within the seek for the unknown knife attacker who slit the throats of revelers at a well-attended festival within the western German city, killing three people and injuring at the least eight others, 4 of them seriously.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested early Saturday. Police said he was suspected of knowing concerning the planned attack and never informing authorities, but was not the attacker.
Markus Caspers of the anti-terrorism department of the general public prosecutor's office said at a press conference on Saturday that the authorities had not yet found the perpetrator.
“So far we have not been able to identify a motive, but given the overall circumstances we cannot rule out the possibility of terrorism,” Caspers said, without giving further details.
The three dead were two men aged 67 and 56 and a 56-year-old woman, authorities said. Police said the attacker apparently aimed specifically at his victims' throats.
Thorsten Fleiss of the German police, who served as operations manager on Friday evening, said that police throughout the state of North Rhine-Westphalia were carrying out various search and investigation measures that may last throughout the day.
He said it was a “huge challenge” to bring together existing evidence and witness statements to form an overall picture.
Fleiss also said police found several knives, but added he couldn’t confirm whether the perpetrator used any of them as a weapon within the attack.
Police warned the general public to stay vigilant at the same time as well-wishers began laying flowers on the scene. Authorities arrange a web-based portal where witnesses could upload footage and other information relevant to the attack.
Solingen's churches have opened their doors and offer space for prayer and emergency pastoral care.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser visited Solingen on Saturday evening. She said the federal government would do every part it could to support the town and the people of Solingen.
“We will not allow such a terrible attack to divide our society,” she said along with North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst and State Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul.
Wüst described the attack as “a terrorist act against the security and freedom of this country.” But Faeser, the country's top security official, didn’t classify it as a “terrorist attack.”
Reul announced that the Interior Minister's planned visit to the crime scene wouldn’t happen as a result of the continued police operation within the affected districts. He appealed to the population to “give the police time” in order that they may do their job. He also announced that police presence could be increased at larger events, particularly since the perpetrator had not yet been caught.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Friday, the police were alerted because an unknown attacker had injured several individuals with a knife within the central square, the Fronhof.
“Last night it broke our hearts. We Solingen residents are filled with horror and sadness. What happened in our city yesterday is making it hard for us to sleep,” said Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach to journalists near the crime scene on Saturday.
The “Festival of Diversity” to mark the town's 650th anniversary began on Friday and was scheduled to run until Sunday. Attractions equivalent to live music, cabaret and acrobatics were to be offered on several stages within the central streets.
The attack occurred in the group in front of a stage. Hours after the attack, the stage lights were still on while police and forensics searched the cordoned-off area for clues. The remainder of the festival was canceled.
Solingen has about 160,000 inhabitants and is situated near the main cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf.
Caspers said on the news conference that the 15-year-old boy was arrested after two female witnesses contacted police. They said they overheard a conversation between the boy and an unknown person before the attack during which intentions were discussed that were consistent with the events that followed.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that the perpetrator should be caught quickly and punished to the fullest extent of the law.
“The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me deeply. An attacker brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen's mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and support their families,” Scholz said on X.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also spoke with Kurzbach on Saturday morning.
“The perpetrator must be brought to justice. Let us stand together against hatred and violence.”
There are fears of a rise in knife violence in Germany and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser recently proposed tightening the gun laws. In future, carrying knives in public will only be permitted if the blade is as much as six centimetres long. Currently, only 12 centimetres is permitted.
Stephanie Liechtenstein reported from Vienna.
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