[A 50-year-old Saudi Arabian citizen, who had lived in Germany for over a decade and worked as a doctor, has been identified as the suspect in the recent Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, Germany, which killed at least five people and injured over 200. The suspect, who has been arrested, is believed to have acted alone and has a history of making anti-Islam statements.
According to German authorities, the suspect’s motive is still unclear, but it is thought he may have been unhappy with Germany’s treatment of Saudi refugees. The chief of the Magdeburg Public Prosecutor’s office, Horst Nopens, said that the suspect may have been dissatisfied with the country’s treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees, but that the office needed more time to determine the details.
The suspect, who has been named as Taleb A., first came to Germany in 2006 and had permanent residency in the country. He worked as a doctor in a small town near Magdeburg and had made anti-Islam statements and self-identified as a Saudi dissident on social media. He also expressed sympathy for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and accused Germany of promoting the Islamization of the country.
Germany welcomed over 1 million refugees and asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016, mostly from the Middle East. Originally praised for opening its doors, Germany has seen support wane for the policy with the rise of the anti-migrant AfD.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has condemned the attack, and Saudi authorities had previously warned German counterparts about the suspect on three occasions, citing concerns that he had expressed radical views. The suspect is considered a fugitive by Saudi Arabia and had been warned to be careful in his political activities.
The German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, described the man as “an Islamophobe” and said that the investigation was still in its early stages. Security authorities are looking into the background of the attack and have not yet released any information about a motive.
Experts have noted that the suspect is an unusual profile for a mass casualty attack, with some saying that it was not something that they would have expected. The attack has sent shockwaves through Germany and has raised concerns about the rising tide of anti-migrant sentiment in the country.
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