Police have shot dead the main suspect in the deadly attack near Berlin's Pride celebrations, German officials have said. Authorities said 21-year-old Abdul Ballout was killed during a police operation on Sunday at an allotment garden in Berlin's Spandau district. Police confirmed the death after a manhunt following Saturday night's attack. One woman was killed and 29 other people were injured when a man allegedly drove a rented minivan into pedestrians before attacking people with what appeared to be a machete in Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate. The incident occurred at about 10pm local time, close to one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ Pride events. Related story: https://aseannow.com/worldnews/berlin-pride-cancelled-after-vehicle-hits-crowd-r1555/ The attack prompted organisers to end the celebrations early and came amid heightened concern in Germany following a series of fatal vehicle and knife attacks. Authorities Detail Suspect's BackgroundInterior Minister Alexander Dobrindt identified the suspect as Abdul Ballout, saying he had a history of criminal offences, had become radicalised and had links to the Islamist scene. Dobrindt said Ballout had previously received a juvenile sentence of one year and 10 months in prison, although it had been suspended. German media reported that Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese heritage, had supported Islamic State and travelled to the Middle East last year in an unsuccessful attempt to join the group. Bild and Der Spiegel reported that he was later convicted of preparing a serious act of subversive violence. Abdul Ballout Police had earlier warned the public not to approach Ballout, describing him as potentially armed and dangerous. Officers also searched an apartment in Berlin's Schöneberg district but found no one there. Before the police operation, Der Spiegel interviewed Ballout's father, Tawfik, by telephone while he was in Lebanon. He described his son as "generous, emotional" and said the family, although Shia Muslims, did not support Islamic State. He said he believed his son had been "brainwashed" and that they had spoken normally on the day of the attack. Leaders Condemn AttackChancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany would not allow the attack to divide society and pledged to defend the country's freedoms. Earlier, he described the assault as an attack on society and vowed those responsible would be punished. Flags at the Bundestag were lowered to half-mast. Police said the driver swerved the white minivan into pedestrians in Tiergarten before crashing into a tree. Witnesses reported that the suspect fled on foot, prompting a large-scale search involving helicopters and officers from several German states. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner described the violence as an attack on the city's free and open society. The Pride parade, known in Germany as Christopher Street Day, attracted hundreds of thousands of people. The annual event commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York and has been held in Berlin since 1979. International SupportLeaders across Europe expressed solidarity with Germany following the attack. Messages of support came from the leaders of Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Italy, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Pride parade represented the EU's values of freedom, dignity and equality. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also expressed solidarity with Germany after speaking with his German counterpart. Far-right political figures also responded, with Alternative für Deutschland co-leader Tino Chrupalla condemning religious extremism, while France's Jordan Bardella described Islamist extremism as a continuing threat across Europe. AQPliRM0wqIaVb8RpQLLYjhPv86vtmy4ObspKSQdy1wrxW3QtuX4igOL8osMukE_B8N-LXXsBjvAkyHpldqGXJmvSi9bLlPkK0fp0tAOMg.mp4 Join the discussion? 27 July 2026
View full article
.thumb.png.36058e1d09cc7d50c1386cdac2a56c53.png)
Create an account or sign in to comment