3 hours ago
5 ARTICLE AD
A knife attacker in Germany killed a two-year-old child and a man, and seriously wounded two others on Wednesday, police said. An Afghan suspect was arrested at the scene.
The stabbings occurred in a public park in the Bavarian city of Aschaffenburg at around 11:45 am (10:45 GMT). The attack is the latest in a series of deadly knife incidents that have raised concerns about public safety in Germany.
The attacker reportedly targeted a group of children from a daycare centre who were in the park, according to German media.
“Two people were fatally injured,” police said. “Another two were seriously hurt and are receiving treatment in hospital.”
The suspect, a 28-year-old Afghan man, was arrested “in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene.” Police said investigations into the
“background of the crime” are ongoing, but they have not indicated a possible motive.
German media reported that the suspect had a history of psychological issues and had received treatment several times. Police assured the public that “there are no indications of other suspects” and that there is no further danger.
A second person held by police is being questioned as a witness.
Authorities cordoned off the park in Aschaffenburg, located about 36 kilometres (22 miles) southeast of Frankfurt. Train services around the area were suspended as the suspect had reportedly tried to flee across the tracks, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Recent Knife Attacks in Germany
In June last year, a policeman was stabbed to death during an anti-Islam rally in Mannheim. An Afghan man was arrested in connection with the attack.
In August, three people were killed and eight others wounded in a stabbing spree at a street festival in Solingen. The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, led to the arrest of a Syrian suspect.
The Solingen attack, suspected to have an Islamist motive, sparked a contentious debate in Germany over immigration. In response, the government tightened knife control laws, reduced benefits for asylum seekers, and granted new powers to security agencies.
The latest attack in Aschaffenburg comes amidst Germany’s ongoing campaign for national elections on February 23. The conservative CDU/CSU alliance leads in the polls with around 30 per cent, followed by the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 20 per cent. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats currently sit in third place with around 16 per cent.
AFP
