Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Jun 13, 2025

New Details Emerge on Syrian Attacker's Motives in German Festival Stabbing

Investigation reveals attacker's claims of temporary insanity, prior extremist views and communication with Islamic State affiliate
A Syrian man, identified as Issa al-Hassan, carried out a stabbing attack at a music festival in Germany, claiming temporary insanity during his interrogation.

However, prior to the attack, he recorded a statement holding a knife, stating his intention to carry out the attack as revenge for 'the Crusaders' massacre in Palestine', and saying 'in the name of God, I will unleash you'.

After his night shift, al-Hassan went to the festival location and sent a photo to his contact in the Islamic State (IS) organization, Abu Farouk, via Telegram.

Abu Farouk advised him on which weapon to use for the attack.

Al-Hassan, who was known for his extremist Islamist views even before arriving in Germany, had become more radicalized following an October incident in which seven people were killed.

He entered Germany on December 25, 2022, after passing through Turkey and Bulgaria, where he attempted to seek asylum but was denied.

On the day of the attack, al-Hassan purchased a set of knives and kept one with a 15cm blade.

Shortly before the attack, he stated 'today I'm going to stab them all!'.

The suspect was later apprehended by security forces after a manhunt lasting nearly a day.

During his interrogation, al-Hassan claimed to have no connection to the Islamic State and that he was manipulated by an unknown individual promising him paradise.

He also cited a musician on stage resembling an Israeli police officer as a trigger for his actions, claiming to have seen visions of dead children in Gaza before stabbing the musician in a fit of rage.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Two Women Found Dead in Eryri National Park
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Pentagon Initiates Review of AUKUS Nuclear Submarine Pact
Meta to Invest $15 Billion in Scale AI to Advance AGI Goals
Rare Cancer Cases Triple Among Millennials, Alarming Doctors
G7 Finance Ministers Convene in Canada with Focus on Ukraine and Trade Tariffs
UK Spending Review Prioritizes Health and Defence Amid Budget Constraints
US Raises Security Concerns Over Proposed Chinese Embassy in London
Defined Benefit Pension Reforms Expected to Unlock Limited Investment
UK Industrial Strategy Launch Delayed Amid Budget Negotiations
Crick Institute Seeks Additional Funding to Attract International Scientists
Zia Yusuf Returns to Reform UK in New Role After Brief Resignation
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Scientist Returns Royal Society Prize in Protest Over Elon Musk's Fellowship
Chancellor Proposes 'Housing Bank' and £25 Billion Social Housing Boost
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows in May Amid Consumer Caution
Home Secretary Directed to Find Budget Savings to Protect Police Funding
Rolls-Royce Secures Government Backing for UK's First Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Domestic Buyers Capitalize on London Property Market as Non-Doms Retreat
Nvidia CEO Criticizes UK's Digital Infrastructure Amid £1 Billion AI Investment Pledge
UK Commits Additional £11.5 Billion to Sizewell C Nuclear Project
UK Unemployment Reaches Near Four-Year High as Wage Growth Slows
Chancellor Reinstates Winter Fuel Payments for Majority of Pensioners
Simone Biles and Riley Gaines Clash Over Transgender Athletes in Women's Sports
California Governor Disputes National Guard Deployment Amid Rising Tensions
Protests Erupt in Los Angeles with Symbolic Flag Burning
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
US and China Engage in Trade Discussions in London Amid Ongoing Tensions
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
Germany's Merz Signals Continued U.S. Reliance After Meeting with Trump
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
Sam Altman's Eye-Scanning Digital ID Project Launches in UK
Qualcomm to Acquire UK's Alphawave in $2.4 Billion Deal
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
×