A Syrian Refugee Killed in Self-Detonation in Germany

The Minister of the Interior of Bavaria stated that a 27-year-old Syrian refugee was killed following his self-detonation near a music festival in Ansbach, Bavaria. At least 12 others were injured in the explosion. Joachim Herrmann, the state's interior minister, told the German news agency that this Syrian man had applied for asylum two years ago, but his application was rejected last year. After the rejection, due to the ongoing civil war in Syria, he was granted residency. According to Herrmann, he had a history of suicide attempts and had spent time in a psychiatric clinic. Reuters also quoted Herrmann stating that the bomber was denied entry to the festival shortly before the explosion. An hour after these statements, the German news agency reported that the state official said, 'Personally, I believe the explosion was a terrorist suicide attack.' No senior federal government officials have confirmed or denied this yet. At least 2,500 people had gathered to attend the Ansbach music festival, which was evacuated following the explosion. German police blocked central areas of the city, and rescue teams were dispatched to the explosion site. Police experts are investigating the cause of the bomb explosion. Earlier reports indicated that an explosion in Ansbach left at least one dead and 10 injured, with officials stating the explosion was 'intentional.' The German news agency quoted the city's mayor saying the explosion occurred in a bar near the entrance of the music festival. Ansbach is located near Nuremberg in Bavaria, southern Germany; the capital of Bavaria, Munich, recently witnessed an attack by a young man of Iranian descent, who police say had an interest in mass shootings, killing 9 people, mostly teenagers and foreigners, by gunfire. Hours before the reports of the Ansbach explosion, a Syrian refugee in Reutlingen, a city in the neighboring state of Baden-Württemberg, killed a pregnant woman with a machete and injured two others. The police have arrested him. On July 18, a 17-year-old refugee from Afghanistan or Pakistan was shot dead by police after attacking a group of travelers on a train with an axe, injuring four Hong Kong nationals and one German. Police say the attacks by the Iranian-descended young man and the Syrian refugee in Reutlingen are not connected to terrorist groups. In both cases, reports of mental health issues of the attackers have also emerged.