A 26-year-old suspect arrested, over the stabbing attack at a festival in the western German city of Solingen, is believed to be a member of the Islamic State. The suspect had turned himself in and confessed to the mass knife attack.
In a joint statement, Düsseldorf police and prosecutors confirmed that the suspect in custody was a 26-year-old Syrian man.
A spokesperson for German federal prosecutors, who have taken over the investigation, also said the man was “suspected of being a member of Islamic State.”
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The Islamic State on Saturday claimed the responsibility for the attack without providing any evidence. Three people died and eight got injured in the attack.
The extremist group on its news site said that the attacker targeted Christians and that the perpetrator carried out the assaults Friday night to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.
"The involvement of this person is currently under intensive investigation," said the statement.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s interior minister, Herbert Reul said that earlier two arrests were made by the police that were unlikely to be the attacker. "The real suspect is the one that we've arrested now," he said.
A 15-year-old was arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident. Later it was found that he was not involved in the attack.
Meanwhile, police found at least one weapon that may have been used for the assault. The forensics team is analysing the weapon for DNA traces. However, the police said there were no indication of any security threat at the festival.
Paying tribute to the victims, people started leaving flower bouquets and candles in the centre of the Solingen city.
Also, authorities had set up a website for people to send in footage or any information about the alleged attack. Police also urged the witnesses not to post videos directly to social media.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack and said it "shocked" him greatly. "The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me greatly. An attacker has brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen's mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and stand by their families,” said Scholz.
