Berlin Pride attack suspect killed in confrontation with police, officials say
A 21-year-old suspect, Abdul Ballout, was killed by police following a machete and vehicle attack near a Berlin Pride event that injured 29 people. Authorities have classified the incident as an Islamist extremist terror attack.
Why it matters
The attack highlights ongoing security concerns regarding domestic radicalization and the safety of public cultural events in Europe.
Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots, was killed following a search that lasted nearly 24 hours after the attack in downtown Berlin. Prosecutors said the suspect had previously sought to join the militant group ISIS.
Ballout, 21, was suspected of driving a van into a crowd near Berlin's annual Pride festival Saturday night before apparently stabbing others with a machete in what authorities believe was an Islamist extremist terror attack.
"Everything we see here points to us dealing with an Islamic terror attack," German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.
Dobrindt put the total number of injured at 29. The attack occurred a few hundred metres from a party near the Brandenburg Gate that was supposed to officially close out the city's Pride festival.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in