A Syrian asylum-seeker killed himself and injured 12 other people, three of them seriously, when he detonated a bomb near a music festival in the German town of Ansbach last night.
The attacker had been denied entry to the festival and blew up the rucksack bomb at the nearby Eugen's Weinstube wine bar at 10.10pm local time.
His device contained explosives and metal items used in "wood manufacturing", according to Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The attacker reportedly entered Germany two years ago. His claim for asylum was rejected last year but he was given leave to stay temporarily because of the civil war in his home country.
"It is terrible that someone abuses the opportunity to find protection here in such a way," Herrmann said. "I am appalled by that. We have to do all we can so that such violence in our country committed by asylum seekers who have come to our country will not spread any further."
He added that the authorities did not know if the man planned to commit suicide or intended to kill other people.
The attacker is reported to have suffered from mental illness and had been "in psychiatric care in the district hospital in Ansbach following a suicide attempt", reports the Daily Telegraph.
More than 2,000 people who had travelled to Ansbach for the music festival were escorted from the area, and the festival was cancelled.
It is the latest in a series of bloody events in Germany over the past week.
Earlier in the day, another Syrian asylum-seeker was arrested after allegedly killing a woman with a machete in the south-west city of Reutlingen, while on Friday, a German-Iranian teenager shot nine people and injured 19 others before committing suicide in Munich.
Police said that neither of the two incidents had the hallmarks of an Islamist terror attack, unlike a separate axe attack on a train travelling between the Bavarian towns of Treuchtlingen and Wurzburg on 18 July. The assailant, an Afghan teenager, was shot dead by police.
-
Hyatt Regency Lisbon: a tranquil oasis in the historic district of BelémThe Week Recommends With its sprawling spa and prime location overlooking the River Tagus, this luxury hotel is a great place to escape the bustle of the city
-
Quiz of The Week: 6 – 12 SeptemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The week’s best photosIn Pictures A palace on fire, a shopping cart protest, and more
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
