A Syrian asylum seeker who blew himself up outside a German music festival had made a video pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group, authorities said on Monday, in the second attack claimed by the jihadists in Germany in a week.
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US officials said no Americans were among the injured when a 27-year-old Syrian asylum-seeker blew himself up after being denied entry to a music festival because he didn’t have a ticket.
“It is clear that with these attacks in quick succession, the worries and fears in our population will grow”, said Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, whose conservative Christian Social Union is allied with Merkel but has called on her to limit the number of asylum applicants. Edit No1200 “On the mobile phone there is a corresponding video of the perpetrator issuing an attack threat in Arabic”.
The terror group has described the attacker as “one of (their) soldiers”. Joachhim Hermann also said bomb making materials such as gasoline and chemicals were also found in the assailant’s home.
Mohammad Daleel left three people critically injured when he detonated a bomb in his backpack in the small German village of Ansbach, Germany.
“We are now talking about 59 investigations for possible links to terrorist structures, and that’s with many hundreds of thousands of newly arrived people”, he was quoted as saying. The string of attacks has fueled growing public concern about the country’s already controversial open-door refugee policy.
The attack, which was claimed by ISIL, was the fourth to shake Germany in a week, and the third to be carried out by a recent migrant to the country. Everyone now feels that we are in a situation where attacks like those in Brussels can not be ruled out in Germany, whether here in Bavaria or in North Rhine-Westphalia or in Berlin.
Special Forces in Munich are on the scene investigating, police said.
Police are searching for possible accomplices.
Eyewitnesses have described the panicked aftermath of the Ansbach attack, and said people covered in blood had streamed into a nearby cafe after a “very loud bang”. He was planning to introduce measures at a meeting of Bavaria’s conservative government today to strengthen police forces, in part by ensuring that they have adequate equipment.
The unidentified man had repeatedly received psychiatric treatment, including twice for attempted suicide, authorities said, and had been known to police for drug possession.
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Asylum-seekers are routinely deported to the first country where they registered if they do not follow proper procedures, even if they are considered to have a legitimate asylum claim. Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung said investigations have been launched in 60 of those cases, reported Reuters.
