Riyadh, Dec 21 (IANS): Saudi Arabia condemned the tragic attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, which left two people dead, including a child, and injured at least 68 others.
The incident occurred on Friday evening when a car rammed into the crowded market that was full of shoppers buying things for Christmas.
The perpetrator, identified as a Saudi Arabian national named Taleb A., was arrested after the incident. Taleb, a doctor residing in Germany since 2006, has been working in Saxony-Anhalt, according to state premier Reiner Haseloff.
In a statement on Friday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed its condemnation of the attack, saying, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its strong condemnation of the incident in Magdeburg, in which a car plowed into crowds, resulting in deaths and injury of a number of people."
"The Kingdom expresses its solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims. It reaffirms its stance against violence and offers sincere condolences to the bereaved families, the government, and the people of Germany, wishing the injured a swift recovery," the statement added.
Saxony-Anhalt's premier revealed that of the injured, 15 remain in critical condition, raising concerns that the death toll may rise. Haseloff also noted that the suspect was not previously known to authorities for Islamist activities.
CCTV footage from the scene shows the suspect lying on the ground near a heavily damaged black car as police detained him. Local media identified the vehicle as a black BMW, which witnesses said drove in a zigzag pattern through the market at around 7:04 P.M., creating widespread panic.
Police reported that the car travelled at least 400 metres through the market before being stopped. The bustling Christmas market, located near Magdeburg's city hall, was immediately closed following the attack. Emergency services, including ambulances and fire personnel, were dispatched to aid the victims.
Magdeburg, a city with a population of approximately 237,000, is situated in Saxony-Anhalt, about 150 kilometres west of Berlin.
This incident brings to mind the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, where a truck was deliberately driven into a crowd, killing 12 people and injuring over 70. That attacker fled to Italy, where he was later shot dead by police.
Investigations into the Magdeburg incident are ongoing, with authorities working to determine the motive behind the attack.