Rabat – The death toll from last night’s attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, has risen to five, with authorities now reporting that 205 people were injured, including 41 in critical condition.
A car driven by a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, identified as Taleb A., plowed through the crowded market in what eyewitnesses said appeared to be a deliberate attack. Authorities are investigating it as a potential act of terrorism.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saxony-Anhalt’s governor, Reiner Haseloff, visited the site of the tragedy this morning alongside Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Transport Minister Volker Wissing. All dressed in black, the officials paid their respects to the victims and expressed solidarity with the city’s residents.
Speaking to journalists, Haseloff described the attack as “an unimaginable incident” and said it would forever mark the history and identity of Magdeburg. He added that the scale of the tragedy was much greater than initially reported. Initially, two people were reported dead and around 60 to 80 injured.
The suspect had been living in Germany since 2006 and was granted refugee status in 2016. Reports have emerged of his past social media posts, where he allegedly expressed extremist views.
A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the suspect after he posted threats on his X account. Local media also reported that he had sympathized with Germany’s far-right AfD party, though these claims remain unconfirmed.
Chancellor Scholz expressed shock at the scale of the attack, calling it a “terrible tragedy” and offering condolences to the victims’ families.
