Knife attack in Germany kills two, injures three

A deadly knife attack in Aschaffenburg's Schoental park, Germany, has claimed the lives of two people - a 41-year-old German man and a two-year-old boy of Moroccan descent. The incident occurred with three others sustaining serious injuries, including a 61-year-old man, a child, and a teacher.

Police have arrested a 28-year-old Afghan national at the scene. According to Bavarian State Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, the suspect had a documented history of violent behavior, with three previous arrests for violent offenses. Following each incident, he had undergone psychiatric treatment and was subsequently released.

The suspect, whose asylum process had been closed, had planned to leave Germany in December but remained in the country for psychiatric treatment. A search of his room at the asylum seekers' center revealed medication consistent with psychiatric treatment but no evidence of radical Islamist beliefs.

The attack has intensified ongoing discussions about security and migration in Germany, particularly as the country approaches parliamentary elections on February 23. This incident follows a recent tragedy in Magdeburg, where a Saudi doctor was charged with murder after a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market on December 20, which resulted in six deaths and approximately 200 injuries.

Local authorities have confirmed there are no additional suspects, and hundreds of citizens gathered in Aschaffenburg's central square to mourn the victims. The incident marks another chapter in a series of violent attacks that have heightened public concern over security measures and immigration policies in Germany.

Police said there was no indication of further suspects and no danger to the public.

Local media reports said the attacker targeted a group of children from a daycare centre who were in the park. The suspect lived in an asylum centre in the area, news outlet Der Spiegel reported.