Germany: Police investigate possible extremist motive following stabbing incident in Stolberg (North Rhine-Westphalia) September 13

Event

Police have stated that they are investigating a possible Islamic extremist after a motorist was stabbed in the Stolberg area of North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday, September 13. The victim is reported to have suffered serious injuries in the attack which occurred as he was driving through the town, around 10km (6 miles) west of Aachen, at 00:40 (local time) on Sunday. The suspect and an associate were later detained by police on Sunday afternoon close to the scene of the incident, with a police officer being injured during the arrest. Although police have stated that the victim and suspect were known to each other, investigators announced that the suspect had been on a terrorism watchlist and that they were not ruling out an Islamic extremist motive.

Further police operations are possible in the Stolberg area in the near term.  

Advice

Those in the Stolberg area are advised to monitor developments, heed any directives issued by local authorities, and report any suspicious items or activity to police.