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🇮🇹 Italy /Crime & Justice

Berlin Pride attacker killed by police, suspected of ISIS ties

From ANSA · () Italian

Translated from Italian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Police in Berlin killed a 21-year-old man suspected of driving a van into a crowd at a Pride event, leaving one dead and 29 injured.
  • The suspect, identified as Abdul Ballout, was reportedly a German citizen of Lebanese origin with ties to radical Islamist circles and suspected of supporting ISIS.
  • The attack disrupted the Christopher Street Day celebrations, prompting shock and calls for unity in Germany.

Berlin is reeling after a van plowed into a crowd celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride, killing one person and injuring 29 others. Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese descent with suspected ties to radical Islamists and ISIS.

We must remain united

— AnonymousA message left with flowers at the scene of the attack.

Authorities say Ballout was killed by a special police unit in a garden shed in the Spandau district after he attacked officers with a bladed weapon. He died despite resuscitation attempts. The attack occurred Saturday night, with a white Citroen van veering into the Tiergarten park, striking people before crashing into a tree. The incident happened hundreds of meters from the end of the Christopher Street Day parade route.

Images of people embracing circulated globally as Germany grappled with the return of fears of radicalization. The joyous atmosphere of the city's Pride celebrations turned to shock and grief, with flowers and messages of unity appearing at the scene. Police are investigating whether Ballout had accomplices, and three people were initially detained, though two were later released.

Let us not be intimidated, we are stronger

— Friedrich MerzThe German Chancellor's statement following the attack.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for resilience, stating, "Let us not be intimidated, we are stronger." The attack has reignited concerns about radicalization among immigrants in Germany, a country already familiar with such threats.

These acts have only one purpose: they want to divide our society, they want to deprive us of the most important thing

— Friedrich MerzThe German Chancellor's statement following the attack.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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