©picture alliance / Anadolu | Volodymyr Sindieiev
One person was killed and 29 were injured in an attack on the Pride parade in Berlin on Saturday evening. German authorities are treating the attack as an Islamist terrorist act and are conducting a large-scale manhunt for the main suspect, 21-year-old Abdul Ballout.
During the parade, a white van drove at high speed into a group of revelers near the Tiergarten. According to witnesses and investigators, a stabbing weapon was also used afterward. Police have not ruled out the possibility that multiple perpetrators were involved.
Within the German government, the attack is being strongly condemned. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said at the scene that “everything” points to an Islamist terrorist attack. He also confirmed that the number of injured has risen to 29, some of whom are in serious condition. According to the police, the suspect, Abdul Ballout, is known to law enforcement and in Islamist circles in Berlin. He is believed to be armed and dangerous. German media are also reporting that police arrested a possible accomplice last night, a man of Iranian nationality. Investigators are also examining clues that may indicate a second person was in the van, in part because both airbags were deployed.
Suspect was in a deradicalization program
Meanwhile, the forensic investigation in the German capital is in full swing. Officers are combing the area around the Tiergarten with search dogs and examining the wreckage of the vehicle that plowed into the crowd. Police are also reported to have stepped up checks at train stations, airports, and border crossings. According to German media, Ballout was not unknown to security services. He is said to have previously been in a deradicalization program and had been released on probation. According to reports, his therapist described him as difficult to assess.
The world reacts with shock and dympathy
Meanwhile, the attack has also sparked a strong reaction outside Germany. The organizers of WorldPride Amsterdam expressed their condolences to the victims, their loved ones, and the entire LGBTQIA+ community in Berlin.
The incident has once again intensified the debate on extremism, security, and the protection of public events in Europe. German authorities say they intend to get to the bottom of the matter and have described the attack as an assault on a free and open society.
©picture alliance / Anadolu | Volodymyr Sindieiev