The death toll from a terror attack at a Christmas market in eastern Germany has risen to five after a man identified as Taleb Al, a Saudi-born psychiatrist, plowed his rented black BMW into a crowd, injuring over 200 others. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said 40 of the injured are in severely critical condition.
Videos circulating on social media show the vehicle driving at high speed into the bustling market, though officials have yet to verify the authenticity of the clips. The BMW plowed through shoppers for approximately 400 meters (437 yards) toward the town hall, eyewitnesses told The Guardian.
One of the five deceased is a toddler, according to The U.K. Times, which reported that makeshift tents were set up to manage the influx of the injured.
Emergency responders arrived promptly, treating victims amid chaotic scenes of blood and panic. Reiner Haseloff, leader of Saxony-Anhalt, described the aftermath as “reminiscent of a war.”
The suspect is a 50-year-old medical doctor from Saudi Arabia who has resided in Germany since 2006 and was recognized as a refugee in 2016. The Belfast Telegraph reported that Al worked as a psychiatrist at a correctional facility in Bernburg and had recently rented the BMW used in the attack.
Initial tests indicated that he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.
In a 2019 interview, Al claimed that he was “the most aggressive critic of Islam in history,” adding that he had sought asylum in Germany to escape threats in Saudi Arabia.
Media reports also suggest that he worked to help ex-Muslims, particularly women, flee Saudi Arabia after abandoning their faith.
According to the Daily Mail, the suspect’s social media activity included retweets of graphic videos, such as one depicting a young Muslim woman purportedly being stoned to death “because she had an affair with a young man outside of marriage.” Another retweet featured a post that simply read: “Can you find one positive thing about Islam?”
In videos uploaded hours before the attack, he claimed that German authorities were opening his mail and stealing items, including a USB stick. “I consider the Germans, as citizens, responsible for the persecution I am facing,” he stated in one video. In another, he asserted, “Currently in this country, the nation that is actively criminally chasing Islam critics is the German nation.”
A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi authorities had alerted German officials about Al due to his extremist online activities. However, Der Spiegel noted that Al was not previously known to German authorities as having an Islamist background.
Security experts expressed surprise that the vehicle breached the market’s protective bollards, which are designed to prevent such attacks.
Stephen White, a former PSNI assistant chief constable now working as a security consultant, told Sky News that the attack exhibits the “hallmarks of a lone wolf terrorist incident.”
“Local people are saying it was a deliberate act, and therefore, one can only assume that it was some sort of murderous attempt by the driver.” White cautioned against overreaction, stating, “If it is a terrorist act, and I use the word ‘if’ very deliberately, then it will have succeeded in the sense that there’ll be a reaction, perhaps overreaction, by the state and by the authorities as we lead up to Christmas.”
The attack has sent shockwaves through Germany, leading several towns to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution and in solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss.
Local authorities assured the public that Al was acting alone and posed no further threat to the city.
World leaders have voiced their condolences, with the United States expressing that it is “horrified” and French President Emmanuel Macron stating he is “deeply shocked” by the events in Magdeburg.
This is a developing story. Some information, such as fatalities and details about the suspect, might change as authorities provide further information throughout the investigation.
