Video shows anti-Islam activist among those stabbed in Germany knife attack

A man armed with a knife attacked several people in Mannheim, southwest Germany, on Friday, leaving seven people injured, according to police.

The attacker was shot dead by the police. He underwent surgery and is currently not fit for questioning, officials said, and the motive for the attack remains unclear.

According to various German media, the alleged perpetrator is a 25-year-old Afghan who immigrated to Germany in 2013 and who holds a valid residence permit.

One of those injured in the attack is a police officer who is still fighting for his life, according to reports.

“His life is still in extreme danger,” a state criminal police spokesperson said Saturday morning.

Another person stabbed was prominent German far-right political activist and critic of Islam, Michael Stürzenberger.

Videos of the incident shared on social media show Stürzenberger being attacked by the man in Mannheim's central market square around 11:45 a.m. local time. Stürzenberger had participated in a rally organized by the citizen movement Pax Europa, which describes itself as “anti-Islamization”.

Stefanie Kizina, a colleague of Stürzenberger, told a local reporter for German newspaper Bild that he was “undergoing emergency surgery” after being stabbed in the face and leg, but that his injuries were not life-threatening. hazard.

Rescue and emergency services, including a Medivac helicopter, were deployed to the scene. Information on the living conditions of the other victims was not available.