A Syrian man has confessed to being the suspect in the German stabbing rampage, according to authorities

Authorities disclosed on Sunday that a 26-year-old Syrian man is currently in the custody of German police in connection with a stabbing spree that resulted in the deaths of three individuals and the injury of eight others in the city of Solingen. The investigation is continuing to determine whether the individual has any connections to Islamic State.

Several politicians expressed apprehension regarding the incident, as well as the militant group’s assertion of responsibility. They advocated for increased security, stricter restrictions on firearms, more severe penalties for violent crimes, and restrictions on immigration.

On Friday evening, the assault took place in a market square where live musicians were performing to commemorate Solingen’s 650-year history. Mourners constructed a temporary memorial in the vicinity of the incident.

The suspect surrendered late on Saturday and confessed to the offense, according to a joint statement issued by the police and prosecutors of Duesseldorf on Sunday morning.

Due to German privacy regulations, the Syrian man was identified as Issa Al H. by German federal prosecutors, who also stated that he was suspected of being a member of Islamic State. His family name was omitted.

He attempted to murder as many individuals as possible who he perceived as non-believers, stabbing them repeatedly in the neck and upper body, according to prosecutors, “due to his radical Islamist convictions.”

According to Friedrich Merz, a prominent politician who serves as the leader of the opposition, center-right CDU party, the nation should cease accepting additional refugees from Afghanistan and Syria.

He stated in a letter posted on his website, “It is sufficient!”

Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, disclosed that the suspect emanated from a refugee residence in Solingen that was inspected on Saturday.

The perpetrator had relocated to Germany in late 2022 and applied for asylum, according to Der Spiegel magazine, which cited unidentified security sources.

On Saturday, the Islamic State group issued a statement on its Telegram account, referring to the individual who perpetrated the attack as a “soldier of the Islamic State.”

No evidence was presented to support this claim, and the specifics of the suspect’s potential membership in the organization were not immediately available.

Hendrik Wuest, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, the state in which Solingen is situated, characterized the incident as an act of terror on Saturday.

Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has reported that there have been approximately twelve Islamist-motivated attacks since 2000. A Tunisian driver crashed a vehicle into a Christmas market in Berlin in 2016, resulting in the deaths of 12 individuals and the injuries of numerous. This incident was one of the most significant.

“There is an ongoing risk of violent acts motivated by jihadists.” The report issued earlier this year by the BKA stated that the Federal Republic of Germany continues to be a direct target of terrorist organizations.