Saudi Arabia condemns attack on market in Germany

Saudi Arabia on Saturday denounced the car-ramming incident at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, which claimed four lives.

German authorities have arrested a Saudi man on suspicion of ploughing a car into the crowd, which not only caused deaths but also injured scores of people.

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Kingdom expresses its solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims.

The Kingdom, the statement mentioned, affirms its position in rejecting violence, and expresses its sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of Germany, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

A German publication, The Bild, reported that 41 people were critically injured, 86 were receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries and another 78 sustained minor injuries.

German authorities are investigating a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany for almost two decades in connection with the car-ramming. Police searched his home overnight.

The motive remained unclear and police have not yet named the suspect. He has been named in German media as Taleb A.

A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his personal X account that threatened peace and security.

Der Spiegel reported that the suspect had sympathised with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The magazine did not say where it got the information.

Germany’s FAZ newspaper said it interviewed the suspect in 2019, describing him as an anti-Islam activist.

“People like me, who have an Islamic background but are no longer believers, are met with neither understanding nor tolerance by Muslims here,” he was quoted as saying. “I am history’s most aggressive critic of Islam. If you don’t believe me, ask the Arabs.”

— With additional input from Reuters