Syrian suspect in Germany knife attack was motivated by Islamic State views, prosecutors say
- Suspect turned himself in and confessed to Friday’s stabbing rampage in city of Solingen that left 3 dead and 8 wounded
A Syrian man on Sunday was ordered held on suspicion of murder and membership in a terrorist organisation in connection with the Solingen knife attack that left three dead and eight wounded at a festival marking the city’s 650th anniversary.
The ruling came after the suspect turned himself in, saying he was responsible for the attack, police said. He is also suspected of attempted murder and serious bodily injury, prosecutors said. His surname was not released in line with German privacy rules.
The suspect, wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, was taken on Sunday from the police station in Solingen for the initial court appearance.
He “shares the ideology of the foreign terrorist organisation Islamic State” and on the basis of his “radical Islamic convictions” decided “to kill the largest possible number of unbelievers” at the festival, the Office of the Federal Prosecutor said in a statement.
On Saturday, Islamic State (Isis) claimed responsibility for the attack, without providing evidence. It said on its news site that the attacker targeted Christians, and that the perpetrator carried out the assaults on Friday night “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere”.
