German police are urgently pursuing the suspect who drove into the Pride Parade crowd in Berlin last Saturday night, with officials considering the act to be Islamist terrorism-related.
Foreign news agencies reported on Sunday, 26 Jul 2026 GMT+7, that German police are intensifying their search for a man suspected of deliberately driving into people at the Pride Parade in Berlin on Saturday night. The attack resulted in one death and 29 injured, and authorities believe it to be an Islamist terrorist act.
The incident occurred shortly before 10:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, when a white van plowed into people at the southern edge of Tiergarten Park in Berlin before crashing into a tree. One or more attackers then exited the vehicle and fled, with the main suspect wielding a machete to further attack people.
The scene was just a few hundred meters from the parade's endpoint and the main stage near the Brandenburg Gate. Following the attack, officials immediately halted the event and began evacuating attendees.
Police and Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt revealed that the suspect is Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German of Lebanese descent, approximately 1.9 meters tall, with black hair, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and white pants.
Ballout is a known supporter of the Islamic State (ISIS) armed group and has a history of criminal offenses. He was convicted in May for preparing violent acts after attempting to travel to join ISIS in the Middle East, but his prison sentence was suspended.
Authorities are conducting widespread searches, including raiding the suspect's residence and increasing checkpoints at train stations, airports, and border crossings.
On Sunday, many citizens gathered at the Brandenburg Gate to lay flowers and rainbow flags in tribute, while the national flag was lowered to half-mast at the parliament building.
Germany's top leaders—the Chancellor, President, and Berlin's Mayor—jointly condemned the violent attack and pledged to bring the perpetrator to justice. Expressions of sympathy also came from European Union leaders and several other countries.
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Source:cna