A Spanish man was seriously wounded in a stabbing at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial on Friday, prompting a major police operation. Authorities later arrested a suspect but have not yet disclosed his identity or a possible motive.
German police reported that the victim was attacked around 6 p.m. near the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located in central Berlin near the U.S. embassy. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as emergency responders arrived, treating multiple people who had witnessed the assault.
The victim, a 30-year-old Spanish citizen, suffered severe injuries and was transported to a hospital for urgent medical care. Six bystanders who saw the attack were treated for shock.
Bloodied clothes were seen on the ground as police cordoned off the area, with heavily armed officers securing the memorial. Aerial surveillance was deployed using a cherry picker crane to search the site.
More than three hours after the assault, a man approached police officers at the scene. Authorities swiftly subdued and handcuffed him, with one officer shouting, “We have the suspect!” Berlin police spokesperson Florian Nath confirmed the arrest, stating the suspect was seen with “blood on his hands.”
Police have not yet determined a motive for the attack, and the suspect has refused to cooperate with investigators. Authorities continue to examine possible connections to ongoing security concerns in Germany.
The stabbing comes just two days before German national elections, following a heated campaign season in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has gained popularity.
Earlier on Friday, German police arrested an 18-year-old Russian man suspected of planning a “politically motivated” attack in Berlin. Authorities detained the suspect in the state of Brandenburg, which surrounds the capital, but did not disclose further details.
The *Tagesspiegel* newspaper reported that the man, believed to be of Chechen origin, may have been planning an attack on the Israeli embassy.
Germany has faced a series of deadly attacks in recent months, including car-rammings and stabbing sprees, heightening security concerns nationwide. Authorities continue to investigate whether the Berlin memorial stabbing is linked to broader extremist threats.
