German Police Kept Christmas Market Attack Suspect Under Surveillance for Years, Say Officials
Officials report that a suspect in the attack at a German Christmas market had undergone multiple police evaluations, some occurring weeks prior to the incident. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A man suspected of orchestrating a fatal attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, had been on the radar of law enforcement and counterterrorism agencies for several years, as reported by German media on Monday. Taleb al Abdulmohsen, a Saudi national, had undergone multiple threat assessments by police, with a regional interior minister confirming that one such assessment took place just weeks prior to the incident.
ZDF TV reported that Abdulmohsen first attracted the attention of security services in 2015, when local officials flagged him to the Joint Counter-Terrorism Center due to threats made against a regional medical association and a local welfare office.
In September 2023, a female informant alerted authorities in Saxony-Anhalt about Abdulmohsen’s potentially violent intentions, describing the situation as “very urgent,” according to MDR. However, the police did not take any action at that time.
Saxony-Anhalt Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang informed regional lawmakers that the police assessed Abdulmohsen’s threat level on two occasions, in 2023 and 2024. They also conducted two “potential security threat interviews” in September 2023 and October 2024, shortly before the Christmas market attack.
These interviews serve as a warning mechanism, informing potential offenders that they are being monitored to deter them from committing crimes. Zieschang noted that an investigation into Abdulmohsen was prompted by a post he made on X in December 2023, but the case was closed after police were unable to locate him despite multiple attempts.
The minister did not disclose the content of Abdulmohsen’s messages. Magdeburg Police Chief Tom-Oliver Langhans corroborated that there had been prior criminal complaints against the suspect and that efforts were made to determine the threat he posed, although further details were not provided.
Last Friday, Abdulmohsen allegedly drove his car into a crowd at the Magdeburg Christmas market, resulting in the deaths of at least five individuals, including a nine-year-old boy, and injuring approximately 200 others. He was arrested at the scene and identified as the primary suspect.
According to the dpa news agency, Saudi Arabia had issued a warning about Abdulmohsen to German authorities around a year ago, although the specifics of that warning remain unclear.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
ZDF TV reported that Abdulmohsen first attracted the attention of security services in 2015, when local officials flagged him to the Joint Counter-Terrorism Center due to threats made against a regional medical association and a local welfare office.
In September 2023, a female informant alerted authorities in Saxony-Anhalt about Abdulmohsen’s potentially violent intentions, describing the situation as “very urgent,” according to MDR. However, the police did not take any action at that time.
Saxony-Anhalt Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang informed regional lawmakers that the police assessed Abdulmohsen’s threat level on two occasions, in 2023 and 2024. They also conducted two “potential security threat interviews” in September 2023 and October 2024, shortly before the Christmas market attack.
These interviews serve as a warning mechanism, informing potential offenders that they are being monitored to deter them from committing crimes. Zieschang noted that an investigation into Abdulmohsen was prompted by a post he made on X in December 2023, but the case was closed after police were unable to locate him despite multiple attempts.
The minister did not disclose the content of Abdulmohsen’s messages. Magdeburg Police Chief Tom-Oliver Langhans corroborated that there had been prior criminal complaints against the suspect and that efforts were made to determine the threat he posed, although further details were not provided.
Last Friday, Abdulmohsen allegedly drove his car into a crowd at the Magdeburg Christmas market, resulting in the deaths of at least five individuals, including a nine-year-old boy, and injuring approximately 200 others. He was arrested at the scene and identified as the primary suspect.
According to the dpa news agency, Saudi Arabia had issued a warning about Abdulmohsen to German authorities around a year ago, although the specifics of that warning remain unclear.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
