The suspect whose callous car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in Germany left the country reeling is a Saudi exile who described himself as an "ex-Muslim".
Germany has been left struggling to understand after the horrendous attack in the central city of Magdeburg.
A man later reported as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen was filmed being arrested after ploughing a black BMW into the market, which was packed with holiday shoppers on Friday night. At least five people, including a child, were killed with left injured, 40 of them said to be in a grave condition in hospital. The year-old attacker reportedly worked as a psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist in a town close to the city, authorities said, adding that he had lived in Germany for around two decades after being granted asylum from his native Saudi Arabia.
Prominent German terrorism expert Peter Neumann said on Twitter he had yet to come across a suspect in an act of mass violence with the same profile as Taleb A, as his name has been reported in German media. The suspect's X account is filled with tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islam themes and criticism of the religion while sharing congratulatory notes to Muslims who left the faith. He also described himself as a former Muslim. The suspect appeared to be a frequent user of social media, where he expressed his hateful views.
Just months ago on his account there was a sickening pledge to commit an atrocity similar to the one seen last night, with him describing "slaughtering Germans indiscriminately" as a "path to justice" over what he saw as the "Islamisation of Europe".
