Investigation Reveals No Terror Link in German Train Attack

A stateless 33-year-old man of Palestinian origin, who was arrested following a knife attack on a German train on Wednesday that left two dead and several injured, was revealed on Thursday not to have any “terrorist” motive.

Peter Müller-Rakow, spokesperson for the Itzehoe prosecutor’s office, stated that “there is no indication of a terrorist context”. He added that the other elements of context and the factual development of the attack are currently under investigation.

The suspect was apprehended immediately after he attacked passengers on a regional train on its way from Kiel to Hamburg. The 16-year-old female and 19-year-old male victims died from their injuries, and seven other people were injured, some of them critically.

According to Der Spiegel, the suspect suffered from mental health disorders has had prior experience with the law. He had recently been released from a year-long prison sentence for stabbing someone with a knife at a soup kitchen for homeless people.

The alleged attacker was detained during the incident with the help of witnesses. He is set to face a judge this Thursday.