Stabbing attack leave 3 dead at festival in Germany

At least three people were killed and three others critically wounded in a fatal stabbing attack at a festival during the intervening night of Aug 23-24 in the western German city of Solingen, police said.

An unidentified man who is still at large attacked multiple people at the festival at around 10 pm local time, according to police.

Police have launched a manhunt to nab the lone perpetrator who randomly attacked people at the Fronhof, a central square in the city, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of Dusseldorf, German police said during a press conference.

"This heart-wrenching incident tears my heart apart. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost their lives," said Tim-Oliver Kurzbach, Solingen Mayor in a statement.

"I pray for all those who are still fighting for their lives," he added.

The attack occurred at the Fronhof, a market square where live bands were playing, according to the Mayor.

“It was a targeted attack on human life,” state's interior minister Herbert Reul visited the scene.

He declined to speculate on the motive of the fatal attack. Fatal stabbings and shootings are relatively uncommon in Germany.

Notably, the German government has been aiming to toughen rules on knives that can be carried in public by reducing the length allowed.

In June, a 29-year-old policeman was stabbed to death in the German city of Mannheim during an attack on a right-wing demonstration. In 2021, many people were injured in a stabbing attack on a train.