Estonia's leaders express condolences over Magdeburg Christmas market attack
Estonia's political leaders have expressed shock and sadness over Friday's Christmas market attack which left five people dead, including a small child, and dozens more injured, after a car drove at speed into the crowded area.
Writing on his social media account, President Alar Karis said: "The attack at the Magdeburg Christmas Market is deeply shocking and heartbreaking," adding that his "deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims and those injured.
The attack at the #Magdeburg Christmas Market is deeply shocking and heartbreaking. Deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims and those injured.
— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) December 20, 2024
Prime Minister Kristen Michal wrote that he was: "Deeply saddened to learn about the tragic loss of life and injury in Magdeburg."
"My thoughts are with all the victims and their beloved ones. People go to Christmas markets to spend time with their families. Attacking such a place is simply despicable. Stay strong, Germany," the prime minister continued.
Deeply saddened to learn about the tragic loss of life and injury in Magdeburg. My thoughts are with all the victims and their beloved ones.
— Kristen Michal (@KristenMichalPM) December 20, 2024
People go to Christmas markets to spend time with their families. Attacking such a place is simply despicable.
Stay strong, Germany.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsakhna noted that: "The horrifying attack at the Magdeburg Christmas Market in Germany is deeply shocking and heartbreaking. My thoughts are with the families of the victims. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured."
The horrifying attack at the #Magdeburg Christmas Market in #Germany is deeply shocking & heartbreaking.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) December 20, 2024
My thoughts are with the families of the victims. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
On Friday evening, a vehicle-ramming attack occurred at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, in which a car drove into a crowded area, killing at least five people as of the time of writing, including a child. Over 200 others were injured, 15 of them seriously. The suspect, named in the media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, is a 50-year-old doctor originally from Saudi Arabia who had resided in Germany since 2006 and who had reportedly stated views critical of Islam.
He had used a rented BMW SUV to conduct the attack.
Following the incident, authorities urged citizens to stay home, and some other Christmas markets elsewhere in Germany were closed as a precaution.
Germany's leaders, including outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, have expressed their condolences, as has Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry, French President Emmanuel Macron, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and many other European leaders. Further afield, the New York City Police Department has increased security at Christmas markets as a precaution.
The attack took place almost seven years to the day after a similar ramming attack involving a truck took place at a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
