Islamic State claims responsibility for knife attack in Solingen in which three people were killed

SOLINGEN, Germany (AP) — The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a knife attack in Solingen on Saturday that killed three people and injured eight others, the Amaq news site reported.

The group said the attacker targeted Christians and was an “Islamic State soldier” who carried out the attack “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and around the world.”

The police have begun a raid on an asylum seekers' home in downtown Solingen, including with special forces, reported the German news agency DPA.

“We have received information and are currently taking police action,” said a police spokesman.

Special police units were involved in the search for the unknown knife attacker who slit the throats of revelers at a well-attended festival in the western German city, killing three people and injuring at least eight others, four of them seriously.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested early Saturday. Police said he was suspected of knowing about the planned attack and not informing authorities, but was not the attacker.

Markus Caspers of the anti-terrorism department of the public prosecutor's office said at a press conference on Saturday that the authorities had not yet found the perpetrator.

“So far we have not been able to identify a motive, but given the overall circumstances we cannot rule out the possibility of terrorism,” Caspers said, without giving further details.

The three dead were two men aged 67 and 56 and a 56-year-old woman, authorities said. Police said the attacker apparently aimed specifically at his victims' throats.

Thorsten Fleiss of the German police, who served as operations manager on Friday evening, said that police throughout the state of North Rhine-Westphalia were carrying out various search and investigation measures that would last throughout the day.

He said it was a “huge challenge” to bring together the available evidence and witness statements to get the full picture.

Fleiss also said that police found several knives, but added that he could not confirm whether the perpetrator used any of them as a weapon in the attack.

Police warned the public to remain vigilant even as well-wishers began laying flowers at the scene. Authorities set up an online portal where witnesses could upload footage and other information relevant to the attack.

Solingen's churches have opened their doors and offer space for prayer and emergency pastoral care.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser visited Solingen on Saturday evening. She said the government would do everything to support the city and the people of Solingen.

“We will not allow such a terrible attack to divide our society,” she said together with North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst and State Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul.

Wüst described the attack as “a terrorist act against the security and freedom of this country.” But Faeser, the country's top security official, did not classify it as a “terrorist attack.”

Reul announced that the Interior Minister's planned visit to the crime scene would not take place due to the ongoing police operation in the affected districts. He appealed to the population to “give the police time” so that they could do their job. He also announced that police presence would be increased at larger events, particularly because the perpetrator had not yet been caught.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Friday, the police were alerted because an unknown attacker had injured several people with a knife in the central square, the Fronhof.

“Last night it broke our hearts. We Solingen residents are filled with horror and sadness. What happened in our city yesterday is making it hard for us to sleep,” said Solingen Mayor Tim Kurzbach to journalists near the crime scene on Saturday.

The “Festival of Diversity” to mark the city's 650th anniversary began on Friday and was scheduled to run until Sunday. Attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics were to be offered on several stages in the central streets.

The attack occurred in the crowd in front of a stage. Hours after the attack, the stage lights were still on while police and forensics searched the cordoned-off area for clues. The rest of the festival was canceled.

Solingen has about 160,000 inhabitants and is located near the major cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf.

Caspers said at the news conference that the 15-year-old boy was arrested after two female witnesses contacted police, saying they overheard a conversation between the boy and an unknown person before the attack in which intentions were discussed that were consistent with the events that followed.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that the perpetrator must be caught quickly and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

“The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me deeply. An attacker brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen's mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and support their families,” Scholz said on X.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also spoke with Kurzbach on Saturday morning.

“The heinous act in Solingen shocks me and our country. We mourn the dead and worry about the injured. I wish them strength and a speedy recovery from the bottom of my heart,” Steinmeier said in a statement on Saturday.

“The perpetrator must be brought to justice. Let us stand together against hatred and violence.”

There are fears of an increase in knife violence in Germany and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser recently proposed tightening the gun laws. In future, carrying knives in public will only be permitted if the blade is up to six centimetres long. Currently, only 12 centimetres is permitted.

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Stephanie Liechtenstein reported from Vienna.