A manhunt is underway in Germany after at least nine people were stabbed at a diversity festival on Friday night reportedly by a middle eastern-looking man.
Bild, Germany’s largest newspaper, said that police are treating the incident as a “terror attack” after the suspect, who witnesses described as “an Arab-looking man,” began attacking people at a busy city square in Solingen where a stage was set up for the event.
At least three people were killed during the attack, the report said. The suspect reportedly stabbed people in the neck during the attack.
“The attacker stabbed people at random with a knife. That’s why we are currently assuming it was an attack,” said Chief Inspector Sascha Kresta, spokesman for the Wuppertal police. “There are currently three fatally injured victims, five seriously injured and people in shock. A large-scale search for the attacker is underway, and we absolutely want to arrest the perpetrator. But investigations, forensic evidence and witness interviews are also underway at the same time.”
The attack happened during the “Festival of Diversity” — a three-day event celebrating the 650th anniversary of the city’s founding.
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“This evening we are all in Solingen in shock, horror and great sadness,” the city’s mayor, Tim Kurzbach, wrote on social media. “We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together and now we have dead and injured people to mourn. It breaks my heart that there was an attack on our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost. I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives.”
Europe has seen a sharp uptick in Islamic terrorist threats since Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack last year as numerous plots have been foiled throughout the continent.
The largest Islamic terrorist attack to hit Europe recently was in March when ISIS terrorists murdered more than 130 people at a concert in Moscow.
