German police have arrested a suspect in connection with a stabbing at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial on Friday evening. The attack, which left one man seriously injured, comes just days before a pivotal national election.
The stabbing took place at around 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) at the vast memorial site, located across from the U.S. Embassy. Berlin police confirmed the arrest but provided no details on the suspect’s identity or motive, stating that investigations are ongoing.
Video from the scene showed emergency vehicles and heavily armed officers securing the area. The victim was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment and is now being prepared for surgery, police spokesperson Florian Nath said. His life is not in danger.
Eyewitnesses described seeing two men approach each other before the victim was suddenly attacked. Police sealed off the 1.9-hectare (4.7-acre) site and provided trauma counselling for those who witnessed the incident.
The Holocaust memorial, one of Germany’s most significant historical sites, commemorates the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis.
Political Tensions and Recent Attacks
The attack comes amid heightened tensions as Germany approaches a watershed election. Polls suggest the far-right could secure second place for the first time in nearly 90 years.
Recent high-profile incidents have intensified debates on security and immigration. These include a fatal stabbing blamed on an Afghan immigrant and a Christmas market attack in December, where a Saudi man killed six people by ramming a car into a crowd.
Earlier on Friday, authorities arrested an 18-year-old ethnic Chechen on suspicion of plotting an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, according to Bild newspaper.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Holocaust memorial stabbing.
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