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IN BRIEF: Magdeburg Christmas market attack kills 11, injuring roughly 80 others

TASS has compiled the key facts behind the deadly attack

BERLIN, December 21. /TASS/. A rental car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg. According to preliminary information, at least 11 people were killed and roughly 80 others were injured. So far, two deaths have been officially confirmed.

The driver has been detained. Authorities of the state of Saxony-Anhalt and Magdeburg have classified the attack as a terrorist act.

TASS has compiled the key facts behind the deadly attack.

Details surrounding the attack

The attack took place where lots of families with children attended the market at 9:04 p.m. Moscow time (6:04 p.m. GMT), Der Spiegel reported.

A dark BMW plowed into the crowd. The driver was arrested at the scene.

According to Bild, at least 11 people died and roughly 80 others were injured. Officials have so far confirmed the death of two people, including a toddler.

Not known whether Russians were affected

The Russian embassy in Germany is in close contact with German law enforcement agencies to find out whether Russian citizens might have been affected. The German police are unaware if there are Russians among those injured.

Suspect in terrorist attack

Regional government spokesperson Matthias Schuppe said the attack is believed to be a terrorist act. Magdeburg officials, too, view the incident as a terrorist attack.

The suspect is a Saudi national born in 1974, Welt reported. He used a rental car for the attack.

Welt television reported that the police had not found any explosive device in his car.

The suspect is believed to have acted alone, according to the publication Focus-online.

Global reaction and condolences

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the reports from Magdeburg "suggest something bad" as he thanked rescue teams for their relief efforts.

Saxony-Anhalt’s governor Reiner Haseloff announced that Scholz would travel to Magdeburg on Saturday.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed his condolences to his German counterpart and German citizens over the "deadly terrorist attack."

Polish President Andrzej Duda stressed that he was shocked by the brutal attack and that his thoughts and prayers were with the families of the victims and those injured.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "horrified" by the attack and expressed his solidarity with the people of Germany.

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