At least 28 injured in Munich car incident by Afghan asylum seeker

At least 28 people were injured, some seriously, when a car driven by an Afghan asylum seeker plowed into a crowd in Munich on Thursday.

The incident, which occurred just hours before the arrival of international leaders for the Munich Security Conference, is being treated as a probable attack, according to Bavarian authorities.

The suspect, a 24-year-old Afghan national, allegedly accelerated a white car into a group of people participating in a strike demonstration. The vehicle had approached a police convoy accompanying the workers’ demonstration before speeding up and crashing into the crowd.

Police fired a shot at the suspect, though it remains unclear whether he was hit. He was detained by authorities, but his motive remains unknown. “We currently believe that at least 28 people were injured, some seriously,” said a police spokesperson.

The victims, who had gathered for a protest organised by the Verdi public sector workers’ union, were injured when the car drove through the crowd.

Bavaria’s state premier, Markus Soeder, stated that the incident “was probably an attack,” and Bavarian interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, revealed that the driver had a history of drug and shoplifting offenses.

His asylum application had been rejected, but he had not been deported due to security concerns in Afghanistan.

The attack occurred just days before Germany’s federal election, which has been marked by debates over immigration and security. The incident has added further weight to these discussions.

Immigration and security concerns have been key issues in the lead-up to the February 23 election, and the attack has drawn the attention of both conservative and far-right political parties.

Friedrich Merz, frontrunner for the German chancellorship, made public his stance on law and order, stating that safety would be his top priority. “We will enforce law and order. Everyone must feel safe in our country again. Something has to change in Germany,” he posted on social media.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also weighed in on the issue, with co-leader Alice Weidel criticizing the suspect’s status as an Afghan asylum seeker, calling for a “migration turnaround.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attacker, stating that they “must be punished and they must leave the country.”

Witnesses described the moment the car accelerated through the crowd, with one passerby recalling seeing the white Mini Cooper move between police vehicles before speeding up. After the crash, the street was scattered with personal belongings, including clothing, bags, and a broken pram.