A 26-year-old Syrian man, identified as Issa al H., has confessed to the deadly knife attack in Solingen, Germany, that killed three people and injured eight during a festival celebrating the city’s 650th anniversary. The suspect, who had been living in Germany since December 2022 and had applied for asylum, turned himself in to the police wearing bloodstained clothes after a 24-hour manhunt. According to German authorities, Issa al H. was scheduled to be deported to Bulgaria in 2023 but went into hiding.The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack through its Amaq news agency, stating it was carried out in ‘revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere’. However, German authorities are still investigating the claim’s authenticity and the suspect’s potential ties to terrorism. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the suspect for three counts of murder, attempted murder, and suspected membership in IS.The attack has sparked debates on immigration and knife laws in Germany, particularly in the run-up to regional elections in Saxony and Thueringia. In response, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has proposed a ban on carrying knives with blades longer than 6 cm, citing the need for stricter regulations on knife ownership. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has blamed the attack on supposed security policy failures.Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack, stating that the perpetrator ‘must be caught quickly and punished’. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser visited Solingen and called for the country to ‘remain united’ in the face of the ‘horrible attack’. Solingen’s mayor, Tim-Oliver Kurzbach, expressed the city’s shock and grief, saying, ‘We are all shocked, horrified, and in great pain’.
Key points
- 26-year-old Syrian man, Issa al H.
- The suspect was scheduled for deportation to Bulgaria in 2023 but went into hiding.
- Islamic State claimed responsibility, but German authorities are still investigating the claim.
- The attack has sparked debates on immigration and knife laws in Germany.
, confessed to the Solingen knife attack that killed three and injured eight.
Contradictions👾While some sources report that the suspect was not previously known to authorities as an Islamist extremist, others suggest he was identified as a member of the Islamic State.
