Horrific attack at Christmas market in Germany

Among the five dead was a child. The number of injured exceeded the capacity of Magdeburg hospitals, so some victims were airlifted to the nearby city of Halle for treatment.

The Christmas market - where the incident occurred - was held in a square from November 22 to December 29 with about 40 stalls and many entertainment activities.

Police work at the scene

CNN quoted Mr. Reiner Haseloff, the leader of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, speaking when arriving at the scene of the incident: "It is unimaginable that this is happening in Germany." Mr. Haseloff informed that the suspect was arrested, a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia, who had lived in Germany since 2006 and worked as a doctor nearby, and had a permanent residence permit issued by the local authorities.

According to images from social media and verified by CNN, a black car drove straight into a crowd at a crowded Christmas market. In the video , dozens of people were crowded at the stalls when the car drove straight into them.

The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack. "Saudi Arabia reaffirms its rejection of violence and expresses its sincere sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased and the German government," the Saudi statement said.

According to local authorities, the suspect worked as a psychiatrist at a rehabilitation clinic for drug addicts in Bernburg. However, he had been absent from work since October due to illness. In his posts on social media, he expressed support for anti-Islam and far-right parties, including the Alternative for Germany (AfD). He also criticized Germany for its handling of the refugee issue.

Saudi Arabia warned German authorities about the potential threat posed by the suspect, a source told Reuters, citing extremist views he expressed on social media that suggested he might pose a security threat. The warnings were passed to German authorities in 2006. However, a risk assessment conducted by German investigators last year concluded that the man did not pose a specific threat, Welt newspaper reported, citing security sources. German intelligence agencies have declined to comment on the report.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tan-cong-kinh-hoang-o-cho-giang-sinh-tai-duc-185241221222730855.htm