(Deutsche Welle) The so-called “Islamic State” (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for the knife attack in Solingen. According to Amaq, the mouthpiece of IS, the attack was carried out in “revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere” and targeted a “group of Christians.”
“Extremists are using the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as a way to gain momentum,” Thomas Mücke told DW. He works for the Violence Prevention Network (VPN), an organization dedicated to preventing extremism and deradicalizing violent criminals. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed scores of Israeli civilians, and Israel responded with a counterattack in the Gaza Strip, Mücke has seen “a fourfold increase” in the number of attacks and attempted attacks in Western Europe in comparison to 2022.
