Munich Shooting Highlights Tensions on Anniversary of 1972 Olympics Attack

German police shot an Austrian suspected Islamist gunman near the Israeli consulate in Munich, in an incident coinciding with the 1972 Munich Olympics attack anniversary. The 18-year-old was already known to authorities and suspected of extremism. The attack underscores current tensions and the need for protection of Israeli sites.

German police shot dead an Austrian suspected Islamist gunman in Munich on Thursday during an exchange of fire close to the Israeli consulate, prompting politicians to reiterate the importance of protecting Israeli sites in the country. The 18-year-old suspect fired shots from an old carbine rifle with a bayonet in Munich's Maxvorstadt district, near both the consulate and a Nazi history museum, before five officers engaged him in a fatal shootout.

The incident occurred on the anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics attack where Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes. Bavarian state Premier Markus Soeder suggested a possible connection between the two events, which is currently under investigation. Austrian authorities had previously identified the gunman as a suspected Islamist and had reported him for alleged extremist group membership last year.

Austrian security official Franz Ruf confirmed the gunman acted alone and was radicalized. Munich police labeled the attack as terrorism with a focus on the Israeli consulate. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz commended emergency services for their quick reaction, stressing that both anti-Semitism and Islamism are intolerable. The attack comes amid a tense political climate in Germany, coinciding with a recent far-right regional election victory and ongoing debates on violent crime prevention.

(With inputs from agencies.)