Germany stabbings: Police name man who handed himself in claiming to be attackerGermany stabbings: Police name man who handed himself in claiming to be attacker

ITV News’ Anna Geary has the latest, as a man who turned himself for his role in the Solingen attack has been named

German police have named a 26-year-old man who turned himself in, claiming to be behind the fatal Solingen knife attack that left three dead and eight wounded.

Prosecutors identified the man as Syrian national Issa Al H, and said he “shared the ideology of the foreign terrorist organisation Islamic State.”

Düsseldorf police said in a statement that the man “stated that he was responsible for the attack.”

Federal prosecutors said they were investigating on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and membership in a foreign terrorist organisation.

The suspect, wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, was taken from the police station in Solingen to make a first appearance before a judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe.

A manhunt was ongoing throughout Saturday for the knifeman, who attacked attendees at a diversity festival on Friday night.

Police at the scene in Solingen. / Credit: AP

Three people – a 67-year-old man, a 56-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman – were killed and eight others were injured during the attack.

It comes as Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, but have not provided any evidence for this.

The terror group said on its Amaaq news site that the attacker was a “soldier of the Islamic State” who targeted Christians “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.”

Earlier on Saturday, police arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the incident, but said they do not believe he is the perpetrator.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that the perpetrator of the attack must be caught quickly and punished with the full force of the law.

“The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me greatly. An attacker has brutally killed several people. I have just spoken to Solingen’s mayor, Tim Kurzbach. We mourn the victims and stand by their families,” Scholz said on X.

People lay flowers near the scene of a knife attack in Solingen city center, Germany. / Credit: AP

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also spoke to the mayor of Solingen on Saturday morning.

“The heinous act in Solingen shocks me and our country. We mourn those killed and worry about those injured and I wish them strength and a speedy recovery from all my heart,” Steinmeier said in a statement on Saturday.

“The perpetrator needs to be brought to justice. Let’s stand together — against hatred and violence.”

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German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said: “We are deeply shocked by the brutal attack on the city festival in Solingen.

“Our security authorities are doing everything they can to catch the perpetrator and establish the background to the attack.”

There has been concern about increased knife violence in Germany, with Ms Faeser recently proposing tougher weapons laws to allow only knives with a blade measuring up to 6 centimetres to be carried in public, rather than the length of 12 centimetres that is currently allowed.

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