India has strongly condemned the car attack on a Christmas market in the Germany city of Magdeburg on Friday, which left five people dead and over 200 injured. Seven Indians were also injured in the attack.
The ministry said that the Indian mission is in touch with the injured Indian nationals and their families. All possible assistance is being provided to them. Out of the 7 injured Indian nationals, 3 have been discharged from the hospital.
Saudi accused attacker arrested
A Saudi doctor has been arrested for the Christmas market attack. The alleged attacker has lived in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt since 2006. After the suspect’s arrest, Saxony-Anhalt said, “The attacker carried out the incident alone. The motive behind the attack is not known.”
World reaction to the attack
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly condemned the incident, calling it a “brutal attack on innocent people.” The British Prime Minister called it “horrific” and pledged support for Germany. Tesla owner Elon Musk expressed his displeasure and called for the resignation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The Christmas market in Magdeburg is packed every year.
Magdeburg is the capital of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The city is located on the banks of the Elbe River and has a population of approximately 240,000.
The city is located about an hour and a half drive from Berlin. Magdeburg holds a Christmas market once a year and attracts large crowds.
The attacker received refugee status in 2016.
According to The Guardian, the attacker’s name is Taleb. He is a psychiatrist. Taleb had been living in Germany since 2006 and was granted refugee status in 2016. He was practicing medicine in Bernburg, about 40 kilometers from the city of Magdeburg. He rented a BMW car before the attack. The attacker has no known connection to extremists.
13 people lost their lives in such an incident in 2016.
The incident is reminiscent of a major terrorist attack in Berlin on December 19, 2016, when an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market. The incident killed 13 people and injured dozens. The attacker was killed in a police encounter in Italy a few days later.