- German authorities declared the van and knife rampage near Berlin's Pride festival an ‘Islamist terrorist attack’.
- The attack killed one person and injured 29 others after a minivan drove into a crowd and the driver attacked people with a machete.
- The chief suspect is Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German national with Lebanese roots, who was previously convicted and had a sentence suspended.
- Ballout had a history of radicalisation and was convicted of ‘preparing a serious act of subversive violence’ after trying to join ISIS.
- Police are hunting Ballout, describing him as thin, 1.90m tall, with black hair, wearing a black hoodie and white trousers, and warned the public to avoid direct contact.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the attack, vowing to punish those responsible and calling it a ‘heinous act’ and an ‘attack on our society’.
- The attack forced the Pride event (CSD) to be cut short, and Berlin’s mayor called it “an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society”.
- European leaders, including Italy’s Meloni and France’s Macron, expressed solidarity and condemned the attack.
German authorities have confirmed that the recent attack during Berlin Pride is classified as an Islamist terrorist act. The incident, which left one person dead and 29 injured, involved a minivan driven into a crowd, followed by a machete assault.23
The chief suspect, 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, has a criminal history and was previously convicted of preparing a serious act of subversive violence. Dobrindt noted that Ballout had drawn attention for his radicalization and connections to the Islamist scene, including a failed attempt to join a militant group in the Middle East.456
“Everything we see here indicates that we are dealing with an Islamist terrorist attack,” Dobrindt stated at a press conference. The attack, which occurred during one of Europe’s largest Pride events, has raised concerns about security in Germany, which has faced a series of violent incidents recently.
Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, condemned the assault as an attack on the nation’s free and cosmopolitan society. In response, political leaders have vowed to enhance security measures to protect citizens and uphold democratic values. “We will think about consequences, we will defend our freedom,” Dobrindt added, emphasizing the need for vigilance against extremism.
The attack has drawn international condemnation, with leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni expressing solidarity against hate and violence.
“The attack killed one person and injured 29 others after a minivan drove into a crowd and the driver attacked people with a machete. Police are hunting the suspect, 21-year-old German national Abdul Ballout, who is described as thin, 1.90m tall with black hair, wearing a black hoodie and white trousers.”
The Guardian
