Death toll in Magdeburg Christmas market attack rises to five

The tragic car collision at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, has resulted in at least five deaths, including a small child, with the death toll continuing to rise.

Initially, German authorities confirmed four fatalities, but the number has since increased, Caliber.Az reports via the German newspaper Der Spiegel.

In addition, 205 people were injured, with 41 of them reported to be in extremely serious condition.

The incident took place on Friday evening, December 20, when a black BMW deliberately drove into a crowd of visitors at the Christmas market at the Alter Markt (“Old Market”) square in the center of Magdeburg. Eyewitnesses described the car speeding into the crowd, and it continued to travel around 400 meters through the market area before being stopped by police. The authorities quickly apprehended the driver, who acted alone.

The attacker has been identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old psychiatrist and psychotherapist from Saudi Arabia. He had lived in Germany since 2006 and resided in Bernburg, approximately 50 kilometres from Magdeburg. The Saudi-born man was arrested at the scene and is reported to have been living in Germany under a long-term residence permit. Investigations have indicated that al-Abdulmohsen had been active on social media for many years, offering advice on fleeing Saudi Arabia, as well as expressing political views, including support for the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD). According to Der Spiegel, a Saudi Arabian source revealed that German authorities had previously been alerted to al-Abdulmohsen's social media posts, which included extremist content.

The attack has been condemned as a “catastrophe” by Reiner Haseloff, the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, who expressed his horror over the incident. “This is a catastrophe for the city of Magdeburg and for the whole country,” Haseloff said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also expressed his condolences, writing on social media: “I am in thoughts with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and with all Magdeburgers. I express my gratitude to the energetic rescue services during these terrible hours.”

The international community has also shown solidarity. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached out to Chancellor Scholz to offer his condolences, with a message expressing his thoughts for the victims and their families, and reaffirming NATO’s support for Germany. French President Emmanuel Macron also shared his condolences, saying France shares the grief of the German people, describing the attack as “deeply shocking.” The United States also expressed its solidarity with Germany, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirming that the US stands ready to assist German authorities and rescue services.

This tragedy evokes painful memories of a similar attack that took place on December 19, 2016, when an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowd at the Christmas market in Berlin's Breitscheidplatz square. The 2016 attack killed 12 people and left more than 70 others injured. The perpetrator fled to Italy, where he was later shot and killed by police.

By Tamilla Hasanova