Taleb A., 50, received refugee status in 2016, say local authorities, who speak of a “single perpetrator of the crime.” Friday night attack left two dead and 68 injured
Authorities have detained a Saudi doctor on suspicion of having carried out an attack on a Christmas market in Germany that left at least two dead and 68 confirmed injuries, 15 of them in serious condition.
According to the governor of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, the two fatalities are an adult and a small child, although he does not rule out the possibility of more deaths being confirmed.
A vehicle plowed into a busy Christmas market on Friday at 8pm local time (7pm in Lisbon), in Magdeburg, a city in eastern Germany with around 240,000 inhabitants.
The driver of the vehicle was detained, according to German news agency dpa, which cited unidentified government sources in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
“In light of the known facts, the suspect is the only perpetrator of the crime, so there is, for now, no danger for the city,” said the governor of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, at a press conference.
The suspect was identified as Taleb A., a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, a consultant in psychiatry and psychotherapy who has been living in Germany since 2006 and who was recognized as a refugee in 2016, said the Saxon Interior Minister- Anhalt, Tamara Zieschang.
The driver was arrested shortly after the vehicle collided with the crowd at the market.
In addition to the 15 seriously injured, 37 people have moderate injuries and 16 minor injuries.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on the social network X that he was on the side of the victims and the city’s inhabitants.
“My condolences to the victims and their families. We stand alongside the victims and the inhabitants of Magdeburg, wrote Scholz.”
Marcelo condemns attack, USA “shocked and sad”
In a statement published on the website of the presidency of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo “expresses his deep dismay at the horrendous attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, and reiterates his repudiation of all violence against civilians”.
In the same statement, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa last night offered “his deep condolences to the families of the fatal victims”, wishing “a speedy recovery to the injured” and sending “a message of heartfelt solidarity to the German people”.
Likewise, the United States said it was “shocked and saddened” by the attack. “The United States is shocked and saddened by the tragic news from Magdeburg” on Friday night, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Miller sent his “deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured, and to all those affected by this terrible incident” and added that Washington stands ready to “provide assistance” as recovery efforts continue and “authorities investigate this terrible incident.”
“Germany is one of our closest partners and strongest allies, and we stand with them today and in the coming weeks. There is no place for violence in our societies,” he said.
