The Syrian asylum-seeker suspected of detonating a suicide bomb, injuring 12 people in Ansbach, Germany, pledged loyalty to the Islamic State prior to the attack and was scheduled to be deported, German officials said.
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The man, who had come to Germany two years ago and whose asylum application had been rejected, was known to police and had previously tried to kill himself, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said at a news conference in the early hours of Monday.
Also Sunday, a 27-year-old Syrian who was denied asylum detonated a backpack of explosives and shrapnel at the entrance to an outdoor music festival in Ansbach, killing himself and wounding 15 people.
Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said a video had been found of Daleel announcing a “revenge” attack against Germany and pledging allegiance to the leader of IS.
It was the fourth violent incident in Germany in a week and came as the country was still on edge after the killing of nine people by an 18-year-old Iranian-German gunman in Munich on Friday.
The bombing has rattled the German public following a week of violence in southern Germany that began on July 18, when an immigrant teen, apparently also inspired by ISIS, stabbed passengers on a train in Wurzburg in Bavaria.
De Maiziere said no decision would be made on changing asylum or immigration rules until investigations into the recent incidents are concluded.
He was initially thought to be Afghan but federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has since said he may have been from Pakistan. Four remain in serious condition.
The terror group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the bloodshed was carried out by “one of the soldiers of the Islamic State”.
Asylum-seekers are routinely deported to the first country where they registered if they don’t follow proper procedures, even if they’re considered to have a legitimate asylum claim. Authorities say he was undergoing psychological treatment and had no known links to terrorism.
“I think that after this video there’s no doubt that the attack was a terrorist attack with an Islamist background”, he said.
However, the deportation to Bulgaria was temporarily suspended due to medical evaluations, and the man was placed in a psychiatric clinic at some point, de Maiziere said. The blast took place in the centre of the city of Ansbach, not far from where more than 2,500 people had gathered for the concert, at 10 pm.
“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.
Nonetheless, “people in Germany are scared”, said Rainer Wendt, the head of the police union DPolG.
“Of course I would and will initiate appropriate amendments if they are necessary or if I think they are necessary, but only then”, he said.
“He always said that, “No, I’m not with them, I don’t like them” and such stuff”.
Police said the chat appeared to show that the 16-year-old met with the attacker immediately before the shooting started, and knew that he had a pistol.
Police said Monday the teenager was arrested late Sunday and investigators were able to retrieve a deleted chat between him and the attacker on the messaging app WhatsApp. Both were being treated for online game addiction, among other things.
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Grieshaber and Rising reported from Berlin.
