ISIS claims responsibility for knife attack in Germany – police arrest main suspect

German police have arrested a man suspected of killing three people and injuring eight others in a knife incident during a folk festival in Solingen, media reports said.

“The man we have been looking for all day has just been arrested,” said Herbert Reul, Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, on ARD television late Saturday, according to the BBC.

The suspect is said to have stabbed two men, aged 56 and 67, and a 56-year-old woman during the festival, which was cancelled as a result of the incident.

The suspect was reportedly being held in a refugee shelter.

After the knife attack that shocked the nation, police launched a major manhunt.

In addition to the deployment of special forces, the police in North Rhine-Westphalia launched a major manhunt.

The motive for the attack is still unclear, but terrorism cannot be completely ruled out.

ISIS admits responsibility

The terrorist group “Islamic State” has now claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, the terrorist group did not provide any evidence to support this claim.

Police spokesman Thorsten Fleiß said the attacker had specifically aimed at the victims' necks.

“After evaluating the first images, we assume that it was a very targeted attack on the neck,” he said during a press conference, as quoted by CNN.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz describes attack as a “terrible event”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the attack as a “terrible event”.

“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,” he said in an X-post.

Solingen’s mayor Tim Kurzbach expressed his condolences to the victims of the tragedy.

“After last night’s attack, the city of Solingen would like to express its condolences to the victims of the attack and their families with a memorial,” the mayor said in a Facebook post.

A stabbing incident occurred during a city festival

The city in North Rhine-Westphalia, which has around 160,000 inhabitants, is best known for its steel industry.

The attack occurred while the city was celebrating the “Festival of Diversity.”

The festival is held to mark the 650th anniversary of the city's founding.

Police had previously stated that the attack occurred near a stage where a music event was taking place.