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SOLINGEN, Germany (AP) — The Islamic State group Saturday claimed work for a weapon onslaught successful Solingen, Germany that killed 3 group and wounded 8 others, according to its Amaq news site.
The group said nan attacker targeted Christians and is simply a “soldier of nan Islamic State” who carried retired nan onslaught “to avenge Muslims successful Palestine and everywhere.”
Police began raiding a location for asylum seekers successful nan metropolis halfway of Solingen, including pinch typical forces, nan German news agency DPA reported.
“We person received tips and truthful we are presently conducting constabulary activities,” a constabulary spokesperson said.
Special constabulary units had joined nan hunt for nan chartless knifeman who trim nan throats of revelers at a crowded festival successful nan occidental German city, sidesplitting 3 group and wounding astatine slightest 8 others, 4 of them seriously.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested early Saturday. Police said he was suspected of knowing astir nan planned onslaught and failing to pass authorities, but he was not nan attacker.
Markus Caspers, from nan counterterrorism conception of nan nationalist prosecutors office, told a news convention connected Saturday that authorities person not recovered nan perpetrator.
“So acold we person not been capable to place a motive, but looking astatine nan wide circumstances, we cannot norm out” nan anticipation of terrorism, Caspers said, though he did not connection further details.
The 3 group who died were 2 men aged 67 and 56 and a 56-year-old woman, authorities said. Police said nan attacker appeared to person deliberately aimed for his victims’ throats.
Thorsten Fleiss from nan German police, who was nan main of operations connected Friday night, said that constabulary are conducting various searches and investigations successful nan full authorities of North Rhine Westphalia that will proceed passim nan day.
He said that it is simply a “big challenge” to bring together disposable grounds and grounds from witnesses successful bid to travel up pinch a wide picture.
Fleiss besides said that constabulary person recovered respective knives but added that he was incapable to corroborate whether immoderate of them person been utilized arsenic limb by nan perpetrator during nan attack.
Police warned group to enactment vigilant moreover arsenic good wishers started to time off flowers astatine nan scene. Authorities established an online portal wherever witnesses could upload footage and immoderate different accusation applicable to nan attack.
Churches successful Solingen person opened their doors to connection a abstraction for dream and emergency pastoral care.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser paid a sojourn to Solingen connected Saturday evening. She said that nan authorities would do everything imaginable to support nan metropolis and nan group Solingen.
“We will not let that specified an atrocious onslaught divides our society,” she said, appearing alongside Minister-President of nan German State of North Rhine Westphalia Hendrik Wüst and State Minister for Internal Affairs Herbert Reul.
Wüst described nan onslaught arsenic “an enactment of panic against nan information and state of this country.” But Faeser, nan country’s apical information official, hasn’t classified it arsenic a “terror attack.”
Reul announced that nan planned sojourn of nan interior curate to nan crime segment wouldn’t return spot because of nan ongoing constabulary cognition successful nan affected areas of nan city. He pleaded pinch nan nationalist to “give clip to nan police” truthful that they tin do their work. He besides said that constabulary beingness would beryllium accrued astatine larger events, particularly because nan perpetrator hasn’t been caught yet.
People alerted constabulary soon aft 9:30 p.m. Friday to an chartless attacker having wounded respective group pinch a weapon connected a cardinal square, nan Fronhof.
“Last nighttime our hearts were torn apart. We successful Solingen are afloat of scary and grief. What happened yesterday successful our metropolis has hardly fto immoderate of america sleep,” nan politician of Solingen, Tim Kurzbach, said, speaking to reporters connected Saturday adjacent nan segment of nan attack.
The “Festival of Diversity,” marking nan city’s 650th anniversary, began Friday and was expected to tally done Sunday, pinch respective stages successful cardinal streets offering attractions specified arsenic unrecorded music, cabaret and acrobatics.
The onslaught took spot successful nan crowd successful beforehand of 1 stage. Hours aft nan attack, nan shape lights were still connected arsenic constabulary and forensic investigators looked for clues successful nan cordoned-off square. The remainder of nan show was canceled.
Solingen has astir 160,000 residents and is located adjacent nan bigger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf.
Caspers told nan news convention that nan 15-year-old boy was arrested aft 2 female witnesses contacted police. They said they had listened to a speech betwixt nan boy and an chartless personification earlier nan attack, speaking astir intentions that corresponded to nan events that followed.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said connected Saturday that nan perpetrator must beryllium caught quickly and punished pinch nan afloat unit of nan law.
“The onslaught successful Solingen is simply a unspeakable arena that has shocked maine greatly. An attacker has brutally killed respective people. I person conscionable spoken to Solingen’s mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn nan victims and guidelines by their families,” Scholz said connected X.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier besides said to Kurzbach connected Saturday morning.
“The heinous enactment successful Solingen shocks maine and our country. We mourn those killed and interest astir those injured and I wish them spot and a speedy betterment from each my heart,” Steinmeier said successful a connection connected Saturday.
“The perpetrator needs to beryllium brought to justice. Let’s guidelines together — against hatred and violence.”
There has been interest astir accrued weapon unit successful Germany, and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser precocious projected toughening weapons laws to let only knives pinch a leaf measuring up to 6 centimeters (nearly 2.4 inches) to beryllium carried successful public, alternatively than nan magnitude of 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) that is presently allowed.
Stephanie Liechtenstein reported from Vienna.