DistantNews
Support us
Berlin attacker pledged allegiance to Islamic State, prosecutors say
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Conflict & Security

Berlin attacker pledged allegiance to Islamic State, prosecutors say

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A 21-year-old man, Abdulo Rahman Ballout, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, drove a rented van into a crowd in Berlin, killing one person and injuring 31.
  • Prosecutors found a video on Ballout's phone showing him pledging allegiance and found data storage devices at his home with suspected Islamic State ties.
  • Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese origin, was known to law enforcement and had previously attempted to fight for the Islamic State in Lebanon.

A 21-year-old man drove a rented van into a crowd in Berlin on Saturday, killing a 65-year-old Polish national and injuring 31 people, according to prosecutors. The attacker, identified as Abdulo Rahman Ballout, was shot dead by police on Sunday after he reportedly attacked officers with a weapon.

The video shows a masked person, believed to be A. R. Ballout, pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group.

— Prosecutor's office spokespersonDescribing the video found on the attacker's phone.

Prosecutors confirmed that a video found on Ballout's phone showed a masked individual, believed to be him, pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group. The video was recorded on the day of the attack. Investigators also found data storage devices at Ballout's home that showed ties to the Islamic State.

Investigators are analyzing the mobile phone found in the car and have also found ties to the Islamic State in data storage devices found at A. R. Ballout's home.

— Alexander DobrindtGermany's Interior Minister commenting on the investigation.

Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese origin, was known to the justice system. He had previously traveled to Lebanon and unsuccessfully attempted to fight for the Islamic State. A source in the Lebanese judiciary stated that Ballout had been sentenced to three months in prison for belonging to a jihadist group. Upon his return to Germany, he received a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months for planning a serious act of violence.

Ballout was sentenced to three months in prison for belonging to a jihadist group.

— Source in Lebanese judiciaryRegarding Ballout's past legal troubles in Lebanon.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog