Tragedy Strikes Solingen: Stabbing Attack Leaves Three Dead at Festival

A stabbing attack on Friday night at a festival in Solingen, Germany, claimed three lives and left three others seriously wounded. The assailant remains unidentified and at large. The attack occurred during an event celebrating the town's 650th anniversary. Mayor Tim-Oliver Kurzbach and state officials expressed their sorrow and concern.

A brutal stabbing attack on Friday night left three people dead and three others seriously wounded at a festival in Solingen, Germany, police confirmed.

The assault happened at around 10 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) and involved a single, unidentified attacker who targeted multiple individuals. The perpetrator remains at large.

'It tears my heart apart that there was an attack on our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost,' Solingen Mayor Tim-Oliver Kurzbach stated. 'I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives.' Fatal stabbings and shootings in Germany are relatively uncommon.

The attack took place at a festival marking the town's 650th anniversary, held at the Fronhof market square where live bands were performing.

Herbert Reul, the state's interior minister, visited the scene and described the incident as a targeted attack on human life, while refraining from speculating on the motive.

Recently, the German government has been working on stricter regulations for carrying knives in public. This move comes after several knife-related incidents, including the stabbing of a policeman during a right-wing demonstration in Mannheim in June, and a train attack in 2021 which injured several people.

(With inputs from agencies.)