Police in Magdeburg said the suspect arrested following the attack at a Christmas market was a Saudi Arabian citizen who worked as a doctor with a legal right to live in the country
Magdeburg: Police arrest suspect after Christmas market attack
This is the moment police arrested a man in connection with a deadly attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg where at least two people have been killed and dozens injured.
A Magdeburg police spokesperson tonight said the Saudi Arabian suspect arrested in connection with the deadly attack in the central German city had worked as a doctor in the country since 2006. Police added he was a 50-year-old who had a legal right to live in the country and that they do not believe anyone else was involved in the attack.
Dramatic video revealed the moment armed police arrested the suspect. In the clip, two officers pointed their guns at the suspect on the ground before others arrived in a police van and rushed him.
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Police confirmed in a press conference that at least two people had been killed but that the number of fatalities could rise. Unconfirmed reports suggest as many as 11 people could have been killed, with a toddler confirmed among the victims.
The carnage unfolded at the bustling Christmas market on Friday evening when the driver of a dark-coloured car ploughed through dozens of people for about 1,312 feet through a stretch of the market. It has been reported that as many as 70 people could have been injured with 15 being described as being in a critical condition.
Dozens of emergency service members flooded the city this evening with paramedics, police and firefighters being seen at the site of the crash. Eyewitnesses described the scene as something “war-like” with one mother saying she jumped out of the way of the oncoming car while clutching her young child.
Following the arrest, a suspected explosive device was said to have been found inside the vehicle. Magdeburg Police said in a statement shared on X/ Twitter: “Extensive police operations are currently taking place at the Magdeburg Christmas market. The Christmas market in the city centre is closed. Further reports will be made.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on X/Twitter: “My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours.” He is due to visit Magdeburg tomorrow.”
There have been previous instances where Christmas markets in Germany have been targeted. In 2016, 12 people were left dead and another 56 injured when a man in a truck ploughed into a busy crowd in Berlin.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
