Berlin Terror Suspect Killed by Police After Vehicle and Machete Attack Leaves 30 Casualties

German police have killed the suspect accused of carrying out a deadly vehicle and machete attack near a major LGBTQ festival in Berlin.

According to Berlin police, 21-year-old Abdul Balut was located on Sunday evening at an allotment garden complex in the northwestern district of Spandau. Police said the suspect charged at officers while carrying a knife, prompting members of a special police unit to open fire.

Emergency crews attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

One Killed and 29 Injured

Authorities said Balut was suspected of driving a white Citroën van into a crowd in Berlin’s Tiergarten park at approximately 10 p.m. the previous evening.

The attack killed one person and injured 29 others. Investigators believe the suspect continued attacking pedestrians with a machete-like weapon after the vehicle struck a wooden post and came to a stop.

The attack occurred close to the route of Berlin’s Christopher Street Day parade. A closing concert was underway near the Brandenburg Gate, roughly 500 meters from the scene.

Police reportedly arrested an Iranian national who had been inside the vehicle. Investigators have not yet confirmed which man was driving.

Authorities Treat Attack as Islamist Terrorism

German authorities have classified the incident as an Islamist terrorist attack and transferred the investigation to federal prosecutors responsible for terrorism cases.

Balut, a German citizen of Lebanese background, had previously attempted to travel to Syria and join the Islamic State terror group, according to the report. He was detained in Lebanon for allegedly promoting religious conflict before returning to Germany, where he was arrested again.

A Berlin court later gave him a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months for preparing a violent act threatening national security. His release reportedly required him to attend extremist prevention counseling.

German security agencies had classified him as a potentially violent extremist and kept him under surveillance. He had also reportedly shared Islamic State propaganda and later posted images of firearms online.

Germany Faces Continuing Terror Threat

Germany’s domestic intelligence service estimates that thousands of violent Islamist extremists remain active across the country, including nearly 2,000 in Berlin.

Islamic State propaganda channels have repeatedly encouraged supporters to use vehicles against crowds in major German cities.

The attack is another warning that known extremists cannot be treated as ordinary offenders. Authorities now face serious questions over why a man considered dangerous, monitored by security agencies, and previously accused of attempting to join ISIS was free before the deadly attack.