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India has strongly condemned the horrific attack at a Christmas market in Germany’s Magdeburg, which claimed five lives and left over 200 injured, calling it a ‘senseless’ act.
“We condemn the horrific and senseless attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. Several precious lives have been lost, and many have been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement.
It also added that the Indian Mission in Germany has been actively coordinating with injured Indian nationals and their families, offering all possible assistance. “Our Mission is in contact with Indians who are injured, as well as their families, and rendering all possible assistance,” the ministry said.
Seven Indian nationals were injured in the attack, with three of them already discharged from the hospital.
The incident took place on Friday evening when a car drove into a crowd gathered at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, resulting in the deaths of at least five people, including a child, and injuries to over 200 people.
Police have arrested Taleb, a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor with permanent residency in Germany, as the suspected driver.
Reiner Haseloff, the premier of Saxony-Anhalt, the state where Magdeburg is located, confirmed the arrest and assured the public of their safety. “As things stand at the moment, we are talking about a lone offender, which means there is no further danger to the city because we were able to arrest him,” Haseloff stated in a media briefing.
Reports suggest that Taleb, who has lived in Germany for approximately two decades, had rented the BMW involved in the attack. Initial suspicions of an explosive device in the vehicle were investigated, but German police later confirmed that no explosives were found.
A spokesperson for a rehabilitation clinic specialising in treating criminals with addictions in Bernburg confirmed news agency Reuters that the suspect had been employed as a psychiatrist there.
However, the spokesperson noted that he had been absent from work since October due to illness and holiday leave.
Verified posts on the suspect’s X account, as reported by Reuters, revealed his support for anti-Islam and far-right groups, including the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Additionally, the posts criticised Germany’s approach to handling Saudi refugees.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described the suspect’s ‘Islamophobia’ as evident but refrained from commenting on his potential motive.
