Authorities have not ruled out more casualties, while nearly 15 critically injured people are undergoing treatment.
Viral clips of the incident showed a speeding car ramming into a crowded market in central Germany, spreading chaos among the people.
Here’s the horrible CCTV video of the terrorist attack in Germany. A lorry driver rammed into the market to hurt people. pic.twitter.com/BjLuCNCCJM
— Olu ????️ (@empror24) December 21, 2024
The driver was arrested in connection with the incident that took place at around 7 pm on December 20, when the market was abuzz with holiday shoppers. The incident has drawn parallels with past events like the Berlin Christmas market attack in 2016, which killed 13 people. German state premier, Reiner Haseloff, described it as “a terrible event, particularly now in the days before Christmas”, The Guardian reported.
The suspect behind the Christmas market attack has been identified as a 50-year-old male doctor from Saudi Arabia, Taleb Abdul Jawad, with permanent residency in Germany, the Reuters report mentioned.
According to The Guardian, he first arrived in Germany in March 2006 and was granted refugee status in July 2016. Taleb is a consultant for psychiatry and psychotherapy. According to Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang, the suspect has received a ‘permanent residence permit’.
Taleb rented a BMW car just before the attack and didn’t have any known Islamist ties. Reportedly, authorities believe to have recovered explosives from his vehicle. Haseloff said, “As things stand, he is a lone perpetrator. So that as far as we know there is no further danger to the city.” The motive behind the attack is still unclear.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the German citizens, but didn’t mention the arrested man specifically.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also responded to the incident, saying that the reports of the event suggest “something bad is about to happen”.
He is likely to visit the Christmas market, where the car attack took place, on Saturday, the Reuters report added.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
