Mother and child perish following Munich 'extremist attack'
A 37-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter lost their lives when an Afghan asylum seeker drove into a labor union demonstration. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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An Afghan migrant is suspected of deliberately driving into a crowd in Munich, leading to what authorities are calling an act of "Islamic extremism."
Authorities confirmed on Saturday that a 37-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter succumbed to injuries sustained during a car-ramming attack. The victims were among at least 39 individuals injured when a vehicle, driven by a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, crashed into a labor union demonstration.
The incident took place on Thursday, just before the Munich Security Conference. Local media identified the suspect as Farhad N., who has been charged with 36 counts of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, and reckless driving.
“Unfortunately, we have to confirm the deaths today of the two-year-old child and her 37-year-old mother,” said police spokesman Ludwig Waldinger to AFP on Saturday.
During questioning, the suspect reportedly admitted to intentionally driving into the crowd. Senior public prosecutor Gabriele Tilmann stated that the act was carried out for “religious reasons,” prompting authorities to classify the event as an extremism-motivated attack.
“We don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but given what has happened, we assume this was an Islamic extremist attack,” Tilmann mentioned at a press conference on Friday, adding that the suspect shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ during his detention. “I can’t say more about it, but his statements suggest a religious motive.”
Tilmann noted that there is currently no evidence indicating that the suspect was linked to any terrorist organization or had any accomplices. A search of his residence yielded no signs that he had specifically targeted the union rally or that there was any connection to the security conference, located less than two kilometers away.
The suspect had legal residency in Germany after arriving in 2016 as an unaccompanied minor. According to Munich police, he had no previous criminal convictions and was only known to authorities as a witness in investigations.
In a similar incident last December, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor drove his car into a Christmas market crowd in Magdeburg, resulting in five fatalities and over 200 injuries. The Munich incident marks the fifth occurrence involving migrants in Germany within the past nine months, as reported by AP, intensifying discussions about migration policies ahead of the federal election on February 23.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the site of the attack on Saturday, placing a white rose at an impromptu memorial. He condemned the act, asserting that the perpetrator “must be punished and must leave the country.”
In a separate event on Saturday, a 14-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in Villach, Austria, by a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker who held legal residency. Right-wing leader Herbert Kickl expressed his outrage, stating, “I am angry – angry at those politicians who have allowed stabbings, rapes, gang wars, and other capital crimes to become the order of the day in Austria.” Kickl’s Freedom Party of Austria secured 28% of the vote in September's elections but has yet to form a coalition government.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
Authorities confirmed on Saturday that a 37-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter succumbed to injuries sustained during a car-ramming attack. The victims were among at least 39 individuals injured when a vehicle, driven by a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, crashed into a labor union demonstration.
The incident took place on Thursday, just before the Munich Security Conference. Local media identified the suspect as Farhad N., who has been charged with 36 counts of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, and reckless driving.
“Unfortunately, we have to confirm the deaths today of the two-year-old child and her 37-year-old mother,” said police spokesman Ludwig Waldinger to AFP on Saturday.
During questioning, the suspect reportedly admitted to intentionally driving into the crowd. Senior public prosecutor Gabriele Tilmann stated that the act was carried out for “religious reasons,” prompting authorities to classify the event as an extremism-motivated attack.
“We don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but given what has happened, we assume this was an Islamic extremist attack,” Tilmann mentioned at a press conference on Friday, adding that the suspect shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ during his detention. “I can’t say more about it, but his statements suggest a religious motive.”
Tilmann noted that there is currently no evidence indicating that the suspect was linked to any terrorist organization or had any accomplices. A search of his residence yielded no signs that he had specifically targeted the union rally or that there was any connection to the security conference, located less than two kilometers away.
The suspect had legal residency in Germany after arriving in 2016 as an unaccompanied minor. According to Munich police, he had no previous criminal convictions and was only known to authorities as a witness in investigations.
In a similar incident last December, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor drove his car into a Christmas market crowd in Magdeburg, resulting in five fatalities and over 200 injuries. The Munich incident marks the fifth occurrence involving migrants in Germany within the past nine months, as reported by AP, intensifying discussions about migration policies ahead of the federal election on February 23.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the site of the attack on Saturday, placing a white rose at an impromptu memorial. He condemned the act, asserting that the perpetrator “must be punished and must leave the country.”
In a separate event on Saturday, a 14-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in Villach, Austria, by a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker who held legal residency. Right-wing leader Herbert Kickl expressed his outrage, stating, “I am angry – angry at those politicians who have allowed stabbings, rapes, gang wars, and other capital crimes to become the order of the day in Austria.” Kickl’s Freedom Party of Austria secured 28% of the vote in September's elections but has yet to form a coalition government.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
