The driver of the car that crashed into a crowd at Magdeburg's Christmas market on Friday was from Saudi Arabia. The man reportedly rented a car just before the attack, but was arrested after the attack. According to German media, Taleb Abdul-Javad is a critic of Islam and a supporter of the right-wing party AfD.
The attacker who drove a BMW SUV into a crowd at the Magdeburg Christmas market on Friday night was from Saudi Arabia, state authorities said. The culprit in the tragedy is 50 years old.
He added that the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt has lived in Bernburg, Germany for many years and works as a doctor in the field of psychiatry and psychotherapy. The weekly magazine Der Spiegel reported, “The culprit was supposed to rent a car just before the attack.The culprit is currently in police custody.''
See: Attack on German Christmas Market. the driver hit someone
Taleb Abdul Javad (that's the man's name) has been living in Germany since 2006. Unofficially, he was not previously known as an Islamist, but is known to have been a supporter of the AfD party, which opposed, among other things: Immigration to the Federal Republic of Germany. He was born in the Saudi Arabian city of Hofuf and was recognized as a refugee in July 2016.
Magdeburg. The attack occurred during the Christmas market. Information about the victim
Magdeburg city authorities published data on the victims of the attack. According to information confirmed by rescue teams so far, two people were killed and 15 people were seriously injured.
In addition, 37 people suffered slurs and 16 suffered minor injuries. 100 firefighters and 50 rescuers took part in the rescue operation.
Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Rainer Haseroff said the dead included adults and children. Police in Magdeburg appealed for information, photos and videos about the attack.
Attack on Magdeburg. World reaction to the German attack
“Saudi Arabia condemns Friday night's attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany,” a statement released by the local foreign ministry on Saturday morning said. However, he did not mention the suspect.
Saudi diplomacy underlined on the X platform that the country “rejects violence” and expressed “solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims.”
Meanwhile, Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed shock at the brutal attack in Magdeburg. “Tragic news from Germany. Shocked by the brutal attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and those injured,” he wrote.
Magdeburg. US is 'shocked' by attack at exhibition
The US State Department also commented on the attack in Magdeburg. “America is shocked and saddened. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the victims and injured, and to everyone affected by this horrific incident. We stand in solidarity with the German people who mourn the loss of life,” ministry spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
He added that the United States stands ready to assist Germany in cleaning up the damage and clarifying the circumstances of the attack. “Germany is one of our closest partners and strongest allies, and we will continue to work side by side with them today and in the coming weeks,” he wrote.
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