Police in Berlin have shot dead a man believed to have carried out an Islamist terror attack during the city's Pride festival. The suspect, identified as Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen with dual Lebanese nationality, was fatally shot after lunging at officers with a knife in the western suburb of Spandau.
Attack During Pride Celebrations
Ballout was wanted in connection with an attack on Saturday, July 25, when a white van drove into a crowd near Tiergarten Park just before 10 p.m., where revellers had gathered for Christopher Street Day, Berlin's Pride festival. One woman was killed and at least 29 others were injured. German authorities said several of the injuries resulted from a separate stabbing after the vehicle ramming.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters the evidence suggested it was an Islamist terror attack. “We are dealing with a suspected perpetrator, who had previously drawn attention to himself through a high volume of criminal offences, radicalisation and affiliation with the Islamist scene,” he said.
Manhunt and Police Response
The van was found abandoned in Tiergarten after apparently crashing into a tree. An extensive manhunt was launched across Berlin, with thousands of officers, helicopters, and thermal imaging cameras deployed. Police spokesman Florian Nath said the suspect was known to police as a member of Islamic circles in Berlin, adding that the search was proceeding at full speed. “We still have no information whatsoever regarding his specific motives, the exact sequence of events, or his role in the crime itself,” Nath said.
Political Reactions
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the incident as a “despicable act.” He wrote on X: “Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world were celebrating peacefully at Christopher Street Day. They wanted us to treat one another with kindness and tolerance. This is an attack on our society.” Berlin's mayor Kai Wegner said the Pride event was attacked in the “most brutal way.” “Berlin is the city of freedom - and our freedom has been attacked in the most horrific way today,” he said, adding that his thoughts were with the victims and their families.
