Car Attack at Christmas Market in Germany; At Least Five Dead and 200 Injured

German officials announced that a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, carried out by 'a doctor from Saudi Arabia,' resulting in at least five deaths and over 200 injuries. The suspect has been arrested. Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, is located 150 kilometers from Berlin, and the attack occurred on the evening of Friday, December 30. Among the deceased is a young child. According to Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, 40 of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The vehicle used in the attack was a black BMW that traveled 400 meters through the crowd. What do we know about the Magdeburg attacker? The suspect, now in police custody, is a 50-year-old man named 'Taleb Jawad Abdul Mohsen' from Saudi Arabia. He entered Germany in 2006, has permanent residency, and worked as a psychotherapist. He was known as an anti-Islam activist on social media and described himself as a 'former Muslim.' Based on his posts on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he sympathized with the far-right party in Germany (AFD) and harbored dreams of a joint project with this party. German media reported that he had previously made 'inappropriate statements' about Islam and accused Germany of not doing enough to combat Islamism. Although German security agencies had not previously identified the suspect as a dangerous element, Reuters cited an informed source stating that Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about 'Taleb Jawad Abdul Mohsen.' According to German media reports, this Saudi doctor, who was previously a 'defender of women's rights' fleeing from Saudi Arabia, later advised asylum seekers in Germany on his website in both English and Arabic: 'Do not apply for asylum in Germany.' The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, where the attack occurred, stated in an interview with German television that the attacker acted alone and that there is no further threat to the residents of Magdeburg. According to Rainer Haseloff, the suspect lived and worked in the city of 'Bernburg' near Magdeburg and used a rental car to attack the crowd. The Associated Press released a video of the moment of the suspect's arrest. Reactions Olaf Scholz expressed condolences to the families of the victims after initial news reports. He wrote on social media X: 'My mind and heart are with the victims and their families. We stand with them and the people of Magdeburg.' Mr. Scholz also described the attack as 'horrific' and 'insane' during his visit to the scene on Saturday, January 1, stating that the motive of the attacker must first be properly understood before he faces legal punishment. Friedrich Merz, leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Party, called the news 'horrific,' and Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right AFD, described images from Magdeburg as 'devastating.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed shock over the news in a post on social media X in German, stating: 'Violence must not prevail anywhere.' The Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned the incident of driving into the crowd, expressing solidarity with the families of the victims as well as the government and people of Germany. The Saudi statement emphasized its position against violence, offering condolences to the families of the deceased and wishing for the recovery of the injured. UN officials also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the government and people of Germany. Several other international officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the US government, condemned the attack and expressed sympathy for the families of the victims. The incident of driving into the crowd on Friday evening recalls the incident eight years ago in Berlin. On December 19, 2016, Anis Amri, a Tunisian Islamist, drove a stolen truck into a crowd at the Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring over 70; one of the injured died three years later from their injuries. Anis Amri, who fled to Italy, was shot dead by police days after the attack.