Knife attack in Bielefeld: Investigations against suspect Syrians run

Knife attack in Bielefeld: Investigations against suspect Syrians run

At the weekend there was a serious attack in Bielefeld in which at least five people were injured. The crime occurred before the bar Cutie on May 18, when a 35-year-old Syrian named Mahmoud Mhemed with a pointed object, possibly a stick sword, started on guests. Among the victims are four men aged 22 to 27 and a 26-year-old woman. Two of the injured initially hovered in mortal danger, but could be stabilized later. The victims defended themselves against the attacker, which temporarily enabled him to flee. At the crime scene he left a backpack with personnel documents and a bottle with a liquid smelling of petrol, which raises further questions.

The Bielefeld public prosecutor has announced that it will provide more detailed information on the investigation in the course of Tuesday. These run in several directions, with references to possible contacts of the suspect to be checked for the Islamist scene. The Federal Attorney General could also deal with the case, which indicates the severity of the crime. It is interesting that Mahmoud M. entered Europe via Turkey and received temporary protection status after an asylum application in Germany in December 2023. So far he had not appeared police.

interventions by the police and persecution of the perpetrator

The police immediately initiated a large search. On Monday evening, a special command (SEK) stormed several apartments in Velbert and Heiligenhaus, which could be connected to the suspect. These missions were part of the ongoing hunt for Mahmoud M. and were carried out by investigators from the homicide commission. Despite intensive searches of the apartments, including one in a high -rise complex with many refugees, the locations remained empty.

After the attack, the trace of the suspect was lost in Essen after he had apparently fled to the Ruhr area by train. The investigators use mantrailer dogs and police helicopters to support the search. There is indications of a possible radicalization of Mahmoud M. in his asylum accommodation, which further complicates the motivation behind the brutal act.

A look at the Islamist scene in Germany

Contextual it is important to look at the current situation within the Islamist scene in Germany. According to the constitutional protection report, the 2022 scene comprised around 27,480 people, which represents a decline compared to previous years. Salafist endeavors in particular record considerable personal potential. When investigating such violent acts, as in the current case, investigators are often faced with the challenge of differentiating between individual locations and organized groups.

In February 2023, 505 threats in the area of ​​Islamistically motivated terrorism were identified, which underlines the urgency and complexity of the security situation. A quarter of the traveled people who have traveled to Iraq or Syria since 2011 have given cause for concern, since there are indications of their death or return, which may be associated with extremist activities.

The investigation of the attack in Bielefeld is still at the beginning, and the investigators are working intensively to find out all the dimensions of this act. The coming days are likely to bring further information and possibly also crucial developments.

For further details on the ongoing investigation and the Islamist scene in Germany, the reports can be found on the following websites: Westfalen-blatt , Bild and Federal Center for Political Education .