Germany Christmas market attack: From car ramming into crowded Magdeburg Street to arrest of suspect | Watch

Germany Christmas market attack: In the city of Magdeburg, a shocking incident took place on Friday evening when a car rammed into a Christmas market. As per Reuters report, the death toll has risen to 5 and around 200 individuals were injured in the incident. The attack comes few days before Christmas, for which visitors gathered in large numbers to celebrate the pre-Christmas festivities.

Reacting to the incident, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, “What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality,” Reuters reported. As a tribute to the victims of the attack, Olaf Scholz laid a white rose at a church.

The footage below shows car ramming into crowded Magdeburg Street after which authorities apprehended the suspect on the site.

All to know about suspect Taleb A

The suspect identified as 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor Taleb A, who has a history of anti-Islam rhetoric. The psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist had reportedly been residing in Germany for two decades.

According to prominent German terrorism expert Peter Neumann, the suspect’s X account is filled with tweets and retweets that talk about anti-Islam themes and criticise the religion. Another notable aspect of Taleb’s account analysis revealed that he congratulated Muslims who left the faith. He also described himself as a former Muslim. Thus, the authorities have not confirmed it as an act of mass violence yet, Reuters reported.

The suspect voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and was critical of German authorities, as per Reuters report.

During a press conference, the interior minister for the state of Saxony-Anhalt Tamara Zieschang said the suspect moved to Germany in 2006 and has been practicing medicine in Bernburg, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the city where the attack took place.

Media reports suggest that prosecutors might charge the suspected driver with murder and attempted murder, in the wake of suspect’s dissatisfaction with the country’s treatment of Saudi refugees. Following the incident, several other German towns cancelled their weekend Christmas markets as a precautionary measure and in a show of support to the deceased.