A woman was killed and 29 other people sustained injuries after a van drove into a crowd during a public event in Berlin, with German authorities describing the incident as a suspected Islamist terrorist attack.
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‎Police have identified the prime suspect as Abdul Ballout and have launched a manhunt to locate him.
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‎The attack occurred on Saturday during the Christopher Street Day celebrations at Tiergarten Park, close to the Brandenburg Gate in the German capital.
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‎Speaking at the scene on Sunday, Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said available evidence strongly suggested the incident was an Islamist terrorist attack.
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‎According to Dobrindt, the suspect deliberately drove the vehicle into the gathering before leaving the van and attacking people with a knife.
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‎Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the incident, saying it appeared to be an assault on Germany’s liberal values, democracy, openness and peaceful coexistence.
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‎In updates posted on X, Berlin police confirmed that investigations are being led by the Berlin General Public Prosecutor’s Office alongside the State Criminal Police Office (LKA). The authorities named the suspect as Abdul B. and appealed for information that could lead to his arrest.
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‎Police said the suspect is a German citizen of Lebanese descent.
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‎German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also condemned the attack, calling it a “heinous act” and an assault on German society. He expressed sympathy to the family of the deceased and wished those injured a speedy recovery.