**An Afghan suspect in the Munich car attack admits to the act, raising concerns about extremist motivations just ahead of elections.**
**Munich Attack Highlights Religious Motivation, Authorities Say**
**Munich Attack Highlights Religious Motivation, Authorities Say**
**Prosecutors detail motivations behind car-ramming incident resulting in injuries**
The Munich public prosecutor's office has confirmed that the Afghan man suspected of deliberately driving into a crowd, injuring 36 individuals, admitted to the act and indicated a religious motivation behind it. Gabriele Tilmann, the public prosecutor, noted that when the suspect was apprehended, he exclaimed "Allahu Akbar," which translates to "God is greatest." This led to the classification of the attack as having "Islamist motivations." Among the injured is a two-year-old girl currently in intensive care, with another eight victims suffering serious injuries.
The car-ramming incident, which occurred on a Thursday near Munich's central station, arrives just ten days prior to federal elections in Germany, a period already fraught with heightened scrutiny following several attacks attributed to migrants from Afghanistan. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the site on Friday, expressing horror at the brutality of the crime. Munich's police chief, Guido Limmer, indicated that the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Farhad N, was interrogated for two hours after the attack where he confessed to intentionally crashing his Mini Cooper into a group participating in a trade union rally.
Scheduled to appear in court later that day, Farhad N has no prior criminal history. Investigators have found no affiliations with any jihadist groups, suggesting he acted independently. Farhad arrived in Germany in 2016, had his asylum application rejected, but remained legally in the country with a residence and work permit. Initial reports had inaccurately connected him to previous shoplifting cases, but it was later clarified that he worked as a store detective and had only testified as a witness in such trials. The attack coincides with the Munich Security Conference, prompting US Vice-President JD Vance to express condolences for the victims.
The car-ramming incident, which occurred on a Thursday near Munich's central station, arrives just ten days prior to federal elections in Germany, a period already fraught with heightened scrutiny following several attacks attributed to migrants from Afghanistan. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the site on Friday, expressing horror at the brutality of the crime. Munich's police chief, Guido Limmer, indicated that the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Farhad N, was interrogated for two hours after the attack where he confessed to intentionally crashing his Mini Cooper into a group participating in a trade union rally.
Scheduled to appear in court later that day, Farhad N has no prior criminal history. Investigators have found no affiliations with any jihadist groups, suggesting he acted independently. Farhad arrived in Germany in 2016, had his asylum application rejected, but remained legally in the country with a residence and work permit. Initial reports had inaccurately connected him to previous shoplifting cases, but it was later clarified that he worked as a store detective and had only testified as a witness in such trials. The attack coincides with the Munich Security Conference, prompting US Vice-President JD Vance to express condolences for the victims.
