© Reuters TV/Reuters
Total confusion reigned at the scene of a blast at a bar in the German city of Ansbach. The alleged attacker died and at least 12 people were wounded, a local resident who spoke with first responders told RT.
"With the police cars and emergency vehicles passing by I decided to come to the scene. By the time I came to the scene part of the road was blocked off. A lot of emergency vehicles were all around. I was just asking questions. People were giving me conflicting reports but finally I got to the source, " Albert Amara told RT.
Comment: Live updates can be found
here.
Update 1"The suspect lived abroad in a hotel in Ansbach, the minister said. He had tried to commit suicide two times and was previously housed in a psychiatric hospital. In the coming days, the investigation will focus on establishing whether the man acted with suicidal intent, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told journalists.
So far, the investigation has found no evidence of an attempted political assassination or extremism, but such a possibility cannot be ruled out. The type of explosives detonated has not yet been established, but Hermann said that "metal parts"were apparently used in the improvised device"
Update 2"The Bavarian interior minister noted that the contents of the backpack, in which the explosives had been carried, would have been sufficient to kill and injure many more people, had the explosion happened in heavily populated area.
"We don't know if this man planned on suicide or if he had the intention of killing others," Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said."
Update 3"Following a press conference, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) told Germany's DPA, that he personally considers the bombing in Ansbach to have been the work of an Islamist suicide bomber.
"My personal opinion is that, unfortunately I think, it is very obvious that there has been a real Islamist suicide attack here," Herrmann said early Monday.
Update 4"The suspect was first noticed by security staff at the Ansbach Open concert at around 9:45pm, police said in an updated statement. After he was refused entrance, the 27-year-old Syrian sat outside a local wine restaurant, where at about 10:10pm, according to the testimony of witnesses, the suspect leaned forward and detonated explosives.
Police added that the suspect has lived in Ansbach since July 2, 2015 and had a
"criminal" history. A special commission with more than 30 people was established to handle the investigation."
Update 5"German daily Die Welt has quoted Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann as saying that it was unclear whether the 27-year-old Syrian man who set off a bomb outside a crowded music festival in Ansbach, wounding 12 people, was an Islamist or not.
"My personal view is that it is unfortunately very likely that a real Islamist suicide attack took place here," Herrmann said.
An Interior Ministry spokesman, Tobias Plate, said on Monday that the Syrian suicide bomber was in fact to be deported to Bulgaria. Plate said Syrians can't be deported directly to Syria because of the situation there, adding that he could not say "at this moment why the deportation" of the failed asylum seeker failed to take place, AP report".
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