Berlin attack suspect had ties to Salafist preacher, German media reports

German authorities have uncovered new details regarding the suspect in the Berlin attack that killed a Polish woman and injured 31 others. Abdul Ballout, the perpetrator of the van attack, had been in contact since at least 2024 with a Salafist preacher who had relocated from Germany to Mauritania.

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The preacher urged him to come; his journey was likely intended to join IS.

According to investigative files obtained by "Der Spiegel," the preacher, identified as Amir Abo Azma, allegedly urged Ballout to travel to Mauritania. Investigators suspect this journey was intended for Ballout to join the Islamic State (IS) group and assume a higher position within its ranks. The two men reportedly took a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia together in November 2024.

Azma, born in Berlin in 1996, is known for representing an extremist interpretation of Islam on social media, where he has thousands of followers. He was described as a Salafist preacher by the Lower Saxony domestic intelligence agency in a 2022 report. After an extremist association he was involved with was banned in Germany, Azma moved to Mauritania.

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The preacher offered him help in finding housing and pressured the then 19-year-old to come.

In May 2025, Ballout and Azma exchanged 15 voice messages discussing Ballout's planned stay in Mauritania. Azma reportedly offered assistance in finding housing and pressured the then 19-year-old Ballout to visit. Although the analysis of these recordings did not definitively indicate Ballout's intent to join IS, the close support from Azma led authorities to believe Ballout aimed to deepen his Salafist beliefs in Mauritania, potentially as a precursor to joining IS.

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Ballout wanted to deepen his Salafist beliefs in Mauritania.

Ballout had booked a hotel room in Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital, in May 2025, but his entry was denied, and he was sent back to Berlin. On July 25, Ballout drove a van into a crowd near the Pride Parade in Berlin's Tiergarten park, killing one Polish citizen and injuring 31. He was shot and killed by police the following day during a manhunt. A recording found on his phone showed him confessing to the attack and pledging allegiance to IS.

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The journey was intended for later joining IS and taking a higher position in its structures.