On Friday, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a vehicle-ramming attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. In this incident, a 50-year-old Saudi national, previously unknown to law enforcement, drove a rented black BMW at high speed through the "fairy-tale" area of the market, which was packed with families at the time.
German media initially reported 11 killed and more than 60 injured. These figures were revised by authorities early Saturday morning to at least 5 dead and 200 injured, with dozens in critical condition.
While the market was surrounded by large decorative concrete bollards, police say the suspect used an entrance reserved for ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Once inside, the car sped at least 400m (1,300ft) through the market between two lines of stalls. The driver was arrested shortly thereafter without incident.
Authorities say the suspect had been living legally in Germany since 2006 and worked as a psychiatrist in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Prosecutors say they're still working to clarify the motive but said it's linked to dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia in Germany. Saudi authorities are reported to have repeatedly warned Germany about the suspect, who had boasted on social media that “something big will happen in Germany”.
Readers are reminded that the State Department has had Germany under a 'Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution' travel advisory since May of this year due to the ongoing threat of terrorism in the country.
Germany has suffered a string of extremist attacks in recent years, including a knife attack that killed three people and wounded eight at a festival in the western city of Solingen in August of this year. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
In December 2016, a truck was deliberately driven into the Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, leaving 12 people dead and 48 injured. The perpetrator was an unsuccessful asylum seeker from Tunisia. Four days after the attack, he was killed by police near Milan, Italy.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the national and international threat environment and will immediately notify service subscribers of any new alerts, warnings, or advisories impacting the overall threat picture for American citizens, as events warrant. |
