ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in Solingen, Germany, that killed three people and wounded eight. The group’s Amaq news website said the attackers targeted Christians and were ISIS soldiers who carried out the attack to avenge Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere.
The attack occurred on Friday (23/8) evening as thousands of people gathered in the square to celebrate Solingen’s 650th anniversary on Friday. Those killed included a woman and two men.
Markus Caspers, from the counterterrorism section of the prosecutor’s office, told a news conference on Saturday (August 24) that authorities had not yet found the perpetrator.
“So far, we have not been able to identify a motive. But looking at the overall circumstances, we cannot rule out the possibility of terrorism,” Caspers said, although he did not provide further details.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested Saturday morning (Aug. 24). Caspers said he was arrested after two female witnesses contacted police.
They said they had listened to a conversation between the boy and an unknown person before the attack. The conversation was about intentions related to the next incident.
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German news agency DPA reported that police, including special forces, also raided the homes of asylum seekers in the central city of Solingen.
“We have received a tip-off. We are therefore carrying out police activity,” said German police spokesman Thorsten Fleiss.
Fleiss said his office had a major challenge in gathering available evidence and witness testimony to create a complete picture of the incident. In the meantime, police are urging the public to remain vigilant until the perpetrator is found.
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German Interior and Community Minister Nancy Faeser visited Solingen on Saturday evening. She said the government would do everything possible to support the city and its people.
“We will not allow such a horrific attack to divide our society,” he said, alongside North Rhine-Westphalia State Minister-President Hendrik Wust and Interior Minister Herbert Reul.
Wust described the attack as an act of terror against the peace and freedom of this country. But Faeser, the country’s top security official, has not classified it as a terror attack.
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At its peak, ISIS controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria and carried out several deadly attacks around the world.
But the group faced territorial defeat in 2017. Its brutal rule collapsed after losing all the territory it controlled to the Iraqi government and various parties in the Syrian civil war.
The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks it did not involve, including the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting.
In Solingen, police closed off the square on Saturday and passers-by placed candles and flowers outside the barriers.
Authorities also set up an online portal for witnesses to upload footage and other information relevant to the attack. Churches in Solingen opened their doors to offer prayer space and emergency pastoral care.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened,” Solingen Mayor Tim-Oliver Kurzbach told reporters.
The Festival of Diversity, marking Solingen’s 650th anniversary, kicked off Friday and is due to run through Sunday. Several stages on central streets offer attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics.
Authorities have now cancelled the festival. (Aljazeera/Z-2)
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