Munich car ramming that injured 36 investigated as 'Islamic extremism'
The car ramming that injured at least 36 people in Munich on Thursday, ahead of a major security conference featuring world leaders and defense leaders, was an intentional attack and is being treated as Islamic extremism, authorities said Friday.
The car ramming that injured at least 36 people in Munich on Thursday, ahead of a major security conference featuring world leaders and defense leaders, was an intentional attack and is being treated as Islamic extremism, authorities said Friday.
Gabriele Tilmann, a senior public prosecutor, told a news conference in the city that the unidentified suspect admitted in a police interview that he drove into the crowd purposefully.
"The reason that he gave could be summarized as a religious reason. I can't say more about it, but what he said would lead us to conclude that it was a religious motive," she said.
"We don't want to jump to any conclusions, but given what has happened, we would assume this was an Islamic extremist attack," she added. After his arrest Thursday the suspect prayed, she said.
The suspect, a 24-year-old Afghan national, was arrested on suspicion of 36 counts of attempted murder, as well as grievous bodily harm and reckless driving.
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