Syrian migrant arrested in Germany for knife-wielding terrorist

A man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a stabbing rampage in the western German city of Solingen – said a state official to a German television station on Saturday, barely a day after the attack that claimed three lives.

According to the German daily Bild, the man, soaked from the pouring rain and still covered in blood, surrendered on Saturday evening shortly after 11 pm. “I am the one they are looking for…,” he said. Allegedly, he had been hiding in a backyard since the crime.

According to information from Spiegel, 26-year-old Issa al H. was born in the Syrian city of Deir al-Sor. He arrived in Germany at the end of December 2022 and applied for asylum in Bielefeld. A year later, he was granted subsidiary protection.

Herbert Reul, the Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia, told ARD television that he was somewhat relieved after authorities had been following a hot lead all day that ultimately led to the arrest – Reuters reported.

The Islamic State terrorist group previously claimed responsibility for Friday’s stabbing attack, which resulted in three deaths and eight serious injuries.

According to a statement issued by the terrorist group’s news service called Amak, one of their members carried out the attack to “avenge the Palestinians and Muslims living elsewhere.” However, the jihadist group’s claim was not supported by any evidence, and it was not clear how closely the attacker was linked to the Islamic State – as reported by MTI.

The Friday attack, in which the perpetrator killed three people and injured eight others, took place in the center of Solingen during a festival celebrating the city’s 650th anniversary. Among the fatalities were two men, aged 67 and 56, and a 56-year-old woman.

The police conducted a manhunt all day, and two individuals were arrested who were likely not the perpetrator, according to Herbert Reul.

“The real suspect is the one who was just arrested,” he said. He mentioned that the man had connections to a refugee shelter that had been searched earlier in the day.

The police did not wish to immediately comment.