Bielefeld shaken: IS suspicion after brutal knife attacks!

Bielefeld shaken: IS suspicion after brutal knife attacks!

Almost six weeks after the shocking knife attack on revelers in front of a bar in Bielefeld, the suspected perpetrator Mahmoud M. is once again the focus of the investigation. The 35-year-old Syrian, who injured numerous people with a knife on May 18, was brought before the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice. The Federal Prosecutor's Office has now obtained a new arrest warrant, according to which Mahmoud M. is not only responsible for his violent attack, but is also accused of membership in the radical Islamist terrorist militia Islamic State (IS), as rnd.de reported.

According to the investigation, Mahmoud M. is said to have joined the terrorist organization IS in Syria in 2014 at the latest. There he worked as a guard and border guard in the Raqqa area. After his return to Germany, he apparently planned to kill as many people as possible in the name of a worldwide “holy war.” He put this plan into action on May 18th when he critically injured four people during the celebrations for the promotion of the Arminia Bielefeld football club. The victims fought back against the attacker, resulting in his own injury. After initially escaping, Mahmoud M. was arrested in Heiligenhaus near Düsseldorf on the evening of May 19th.

Investigations and backgrounds

The Federal Prosecutor's Office has taken over the case because it takes the special significance of the incident and the suspicion of a religiously motivated attack seriously. Evidence of an Islamist background increased, especially after a document found at Mahmoud M.'s home suggested this. Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel confirmed that there is evidence of M.'s activities for IS in Syria. Before his attack, he was in contact with people abroad who may also have belonged to the terrorist organization.

Mahmoud M. lived in Harsewinkel near Bielefeld and had not yet appeared to the police. He also entered Europe via Turkey and received temporary protection status in December 2023 after applying for asylum in Germany. During the investigation it also emerged that there is relevant Islamist potential in Germany. According to verfassungsschutz.de there are around 28,280 people who are considered to be motivated by Islamism; These include around 9,540 people who are classified as violence-oriented.

A worrying phenomenon

The threat from Islamist terrorism in Germany remains high. IS in particular continues to pursue attack targets in Germany, while the propaganda activities of IS Khorasan Province (ISPK) pose a significant risk. The returnees who were ideologically indoctrinated or militarily trained in Syria or Iraq represent a very special security risk. The political climate following current developments in the Middle East means that the risk to Israeli and Jewish targets across Germany could increase.

As the latest attacks show, the issue remains explosive for Germany: in August 2024, a knife attack in Solingen in which three people died, or another incident in Mannheim in which one person died and several people were injured. The events surrounding Mahmoud M. are a further impression of the fragile security situation in Germany and the challenges in dealing with extremist tendencies.