Germany says fatal Berlin Pride attack believed to be an act of Islamic extremist terror

Published 26 July 2026 · europe

A van ramming and stabbing near Berlin’s Pride festival that left one person dead and many others injured is believed to have been an Islamic

A van ramming and stabbing near Berlin’s Pride festival that left one person dead and many others injured is believed to have been an Islamic extremist terror attack, Germany’s Interior Minister said on Sunday (July 26, 2026). The suspect in Saturday night’s (July 25) attack remains at large. Authorities issued a wanted notice and warned people against approaching Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots, saying that he may be armed and dangerous. Earlier, the police said some of the victims had life-threatening injuries. In a post on X, police called on everyone to leave the site of the event immediately as ambulances and firefighters attended to the victims. Also read| Berlin Pride: party, parade & politics “We are conducting an intensive search for possible suspects,” police officer Florian Nath said on a short video released on the Berlin police account on X. Suspect had ties to Islamic ‘circles’ in German capital Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the incident on late Saturday evening (July 25, 2026) as “an attack on our society”.

Police and prosecutors asked for help in finding the 21-year-old suspect, whom they identified as Abdul B. They said he is believed to have injured several people with a moving vehicle and that one or more people apparently then left that vehicle. Several people were also apparently stabbed, they added. Sunday’s notice warned the public to avoid “direct contact” with the suspect, saying that he may be armed and dangerous. Police had said earlier that they had identified a suspect who has ties to Islamic groups in the German capital. 40 years of Berlin Pride: party, parade & politics “The suspect is known to police. He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin, and our search for this person is proceeding at full speed,” police spokesperson Florian Nath said. Nath added that investigators had no information on “his specific motives”. White van hit people in Tiergarten park According to police, a white van had driven into the Tiergarten park around 10 p.m., which is next to the route that the pride march had passed along earlier, and hit several people before colliding with a tree.

Police could not say how many officers had been deployed to the scene but that it was “definitely a lot of police.” Overall, more than 2,200 police officers have been on duty in Berlin since Saturday morning (July 25, 2026) to protect the pride parade and other LGBTQ+ events in the city. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner expressed shock, saying that “following a peaceful and vibrant pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner.” “This is an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society,” Mr. Wegner said. “I have confidence in the police and security authorities, who will be working around the clock to investigate.” Meanwhile, authorities called on possible witnesses to come forward and share with police any video or photos they might have taken at the scene of the attack. The city also activated a crisis hotline for people missing friends or family members. Iconic pride event called off The pride event in front of the city's Brandenburg Gate, near Tiergarten, was called off around 10:15 p.m. and a band's performance on stage was interrupted.