New arrest after the knife attack in Solingen

Dozens of police officers took part in the action.

The police inform the German news agency DPA that the investigation continues. It is not known what role the person who is now arrested is suspected of having had.

A large police hunt for the perpetrator has been launched after the knife attack in the city, which is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Earlier in the day, the police arrested a 15-year-old who they believe may have known about the plans before the knife attack in Solingen.

IS claims they are behind it

Three were killed when a person with a knife attacked people at a city party on Friday night. Eight were injured, the condition of five of them is serious.

The Islamist extremist group IS released a statement on Saturday in which they claimed responsibility for the knife attack. The group claims in the statement that it is a revenge attack for “Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere”.

– The perpetrator behind the attack on a gathering of Christians in the town of Solingen in Germany yesterday was a soldier from IS, says the message published by the group’s propaganda channel Amaq.

However, IS has not published any material to prove the claim, nor does it say what the relationship between the group and the as yet unidentified perpetrator is.

Found weapon

A weapon that may have been used in the attack has been found in a rubbish bin in the center of the city, the investigators said on Saturday.

– We have not been able to find the motive, but based on the circumstances, we reckon that a terrorist motive cannot be ruled out, said state prosecutor Markus Caspers at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.

According to the police, there were no threats or warnings in advance. The perpetrator is said to have stabbed or cut the victims in the throat, according to the police.

Was going to celebrate

The attack took place on the Fronhof, a square in the center of the city, where a concert stage had been set up. The police’s task leader Thorsten Fleiss states that those killed were a 56-year-old man, a 67-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman.

The head of government in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, on Saturday referred to the attack in Solingen as an act of terrorism, according to Reuters.

The town of Solingen is celebrating its 650th anniversary this weekend, and 80,000 visitors were expected, writes Bild. The celebration has been temporarily suspended following the incident.