Multiple Individuals Injured in Knife Assault in Berlin; Suspect Detained
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Berlin, Jan 1 (NationPress) Several individuals sustained injuries, including two hospitalized, during a random stabbing incident in western Berlin on New Year's Eve, as reported by German police.
The event occurred on Tuesday at approximately 11:50 a.m. outside a supermarket located in Charlottenburg, a normally tranquil area of the capital, according to Xinhua news agency, which cited the German newspaper Bild.
Witnesses stated that the attacker stabbed indiscriminately until several bystanders intervened and managed to restrain him.
Emergency services arrived shortly afterward, leading to the suspect's detention. The German news agency dpa indicated that there is no current evidence suggesting a terrorist motive for the assault.
Authorities were notified just before 12 p.m. local time (11:00 UTC/GMT), police confirmed.
Reports indicate that the attack initiated inside a supermarket at the intersection of Quedlinburger Strasse and Sommeringstrasse. Police noted that the assailant then proceeded outside onto the sidewalk near a nearby hotel.
The suspect, identified as a Syrian national residing in Sweden, allegedly used a knife stolen from the supermarket to stab his victims, according to police statements.
Further details regarding the incident or the victims have not yet been disclosed, and an investigation is currently underway.
Earlier in 2024, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to address irregular migration following an incident where a Syrian asylum seeker was charged with killing three individuals in a stabbing incident in western North Rhine-Westphalia.
During a visit to Solingen town, where the August 2024 incident occurred, he stated, “This was terrorism, terrorism against us all,” as reported by the BBC.
The Chancellor emphasized that illegal immigration “must go down” and that his administration would take “all necessary actions” to ensure that those who cannot remain in Germany are repatriated and deported, with expedited deportations if required.
The earlier attack took on a political dimension after officials revealed the suspect was a Syrian refugee, Issa Al H., age 26, who was suspected of ties to the terrorist organization Islamic State, intensifying the ongoing debate about migration.
