In a disturbing incident at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial, a stabbing attack left a Spanish tourist with severe injuries. Authorities reported that the individual suspected of carrying out the attack is a 19-year-old Syrian refugee who allegedly harbored intentions to kill Jews. He was apprehended by the police on Friday night, nearly three hours post-attack, after he approached them with blood-stained clothes and hands.
The victim, a 30-year-old man, was critically hurt, sustaining life-threatening neck injuries from the knife. Following the attack, he underwent emergency surgery and was initially placed in an artificial coma. Fortunately, officials later indicated that his life is no longer at risk.
Investigators revealed that this suspect had entered Germany in 2023 as an unaccompanied minor and had successfully secured asylum. His residency is in Leipzig, and this violent episode emerged at a politically sensitive time, mere days before national elections where immigration policies have become a significant focus, especially in light of several deadly attacks linked to immigrants in recent months.
As investigations progressed, authorities noted a potential connection between the attack and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. They disclosed that statements made by the suspect during questioning suggested a premeditated intent to kill Jews, which is believed to have motivated his choice of the memorial—dedicated to the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust—as the attack location.
Upon his arrest, the suspect was reportedly found with a backpack containing a prayer mat, a Quran, a sheet inscribed with Quranic verses including the date of the attack, and the knife allegedly used in the stabbing. Investigators are also looking into the possibility of underlying mental health issues, noting that he was not previously known to police or judicial systems in Berlin.
Currently, he is being investigated for suspected attempted murder and aggravated bodily harm. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser condemned the act, describing it as “an abhorrent and brutal crime,” asserting that the government will utilize all available resources to deport violent offenders back to Syria.
In an unrelated development, police in Brandenburg announced the arrest of an 18-year-old Russian national, suspected of plotting a politically motivated attack in Berlin. According to reports, the intended target was the Israeli Embassy. The suspect, who has ties to Chechen origins, was said to be planning to leave Germany to affiliate with the Islamic State. Further investigations led to the discovery of a suspicious object resembling an explosive during a related apartment search in Potsdam, which was subsequently removed for defusal.
