Taleb (left) and rescue workers work near a Christmas market after the car accident in Magdeburg (Photo credit: X/AP).

The driver of the car that plowed into a crowd at the Christmas market MagdeburgOn Friday, at least two people, including a child, were killed in Germany as Taleb. The city administration reported at least 68 injuries, of which 15 people were in critical condition. The driver was immediately arrested.
Who is Taleb?
Taleb A., a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor, is a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy, according to a report in the Guardian. Taleb had lived in Germany since 2006 and received refugee status in 2016.
Footage from the crime scene showed the suspect lying on the ground next to a heavily damaged black car as a police officer pointed a gun at him as bystanders looked on in shock.

Saxony-Anhalt’s state chairman Reiner Haseloff, who was on his way to Magdeburg, explained: “As things stand, this is a single perpetrator, so as far as we know there is no further danger to the city.”
The Guardian report, citing a security source, revealed that the suspect had rented the car shortly before the attack and had no known Islamist links.
A witness told the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung that the attacker “deliberately drove into the part of the Christmas market decorated with fairy tale scenes,” where there were many families and children. She described narrowly escaping with her child by throwing herself out of the way of the vehicle.

Car accident
On Friday, a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing at least two people, including a child. The city administration reported 68 injuries and 15 people were in critical condition. Local officials are calling the incident a terrorist attack. Eyewitnesses reported to broadcasters that a black BMW drove 400 meters at high speed into the crowd of people heading towards the town hall.
Videos circulating on social media that have not yet been officially verified appear to show a dark car speeding into the crowd.
Rescue workers treated the injured on site. Witnesses reported hearing screams and screams, with one food stall operator comparing the aftermath to a “war zone”.
Saxony-Anhalt’s Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff said on his trip to Magdeburg: “This is a terrible event, especially now in the run-up to Christmas.”

What eyewitnesses say
An eyewitness, 32-year-old Nadine, told the Bild newspaper that she was holding her boyfriend when the black car drove away. “He was hit and ripped away from my side. It was terrible,” she said, according to the BBC. Her boyfriend reportedly suffered leg and head injuries.
According to video footage circulating in German media, the vehicle continued to drive for hundreds of meters after the initial impact.
MDR reporter Lars Frohmüller, who arrived at the crime scene shortly after the attack, described a chaotic situation. “There were ambulances, police and lots of firefighters everywhere,” Frohmüller told the BBC. “It was a really chaotic situation. We saw blood on the floor, people sitting next to each other wrapped in gold and silver foil, and many doctors trying to keep people warm and help them with their injuries. It is a big shock for everyone here in Magdeburg and all of Saxony-Anhalt.”
Previous attacks
There have been attacks on Christmas markets in Germany before. In 2016, an Islamist extremist drove a truck into a Berlin market, killing 12 people.
Last month, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stressed the need for “greater vigilance” at Christmas markets. Nevertheless, she stated that there was no “concrete” evidence of danger at the time. After a knife attack in Solingen in August in which three people were killed, Faeser also emphasized the need for stricter gun laws in public spaces.
In connection with the attack in Solingen, a 26-year-old Syrian was arrested on suspicion of membership in the “Islamic State” group. This incident sparked renewed discussions about asylum and migration policy in Germany.