Germany festival stabbings: Islamic State claims responsibility as two arrested over knife attack

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a stabbing attack at a festival in Germany which left three people dead - as police have made a second arrest over the incident.

A security source told the IS-affiliated media arm Amaq Agency that the suspect "was a soldier from the Islamic State, and he carried it out as revenge against Muslims in Palestine and everywhere".

The group did not provide any evidence supporting its claims.

A 56-year-old woman and two men, aged 56 and 67, died following the attack in Solingen on Friday. Eight people were injured, four seriously, while "many other people have suffered mental stress".

Meanwhile, German police have said they made a second arrest in connection with the attack on Saturday evening.

They said the arrest followed an operation to access a building housing asylum seekers in Solingen as part of their investigation, but added they could not provide any more details.

A 15-year-old boy was previously arrested suspected of failing "to report an imminent crime," but police and prosecutors said at a news conference in the afternoon that there were no further suspicions.

They are investigating the possibility he may have spoken to the attacker.

Prosecutor Markus Caspers said authorities are still looking into motives and searching for a male perpetrator, as a "large-scale" overnight manhunt involving several police forces and special units continues.

There is no clear link between the people who were attacked, authorities said earlier. They added at the time they could not rule out terrorism as a motive.

"Last night our hearts were torn apart," says Solingen's mayor, Tim Kurzbach. "We in Solingen are full of horror and grief. What happened yesterday in our city has hardly let any of us sleep."

Police in small groups can be seen in the streets; some guard the cordon, others speak to members of the public as they try to gather information about the attacker who caused all the pain.

Festival organiser Philip Müller was at the second stage when he got a call saying there was a man in the crowd stabbing people. When he arrived at the central square a few moments later, the only people left were the dead, the injured and emergency service personnel trying to help them.

"When I arrived at the front there were no people anymore," he says. "They were gone: shocked. There was a little kind of panic... some got down under the tables." He adds: "No one can break this city. We have 160,000 people... let us keep together in freedom and in peace."

Investigation 'in full swing'

Police were alerted by witnesses shortly after 9.30pm local time on Friday, to reports of several people being wounded in a central square, the Fronhof, during a community festival.

Searches are still also under way at various locations in the entire state of North Rhine Westphalia, officers said, with federal forces also involved.

"The investigation and manhunt for possible further perpetrators and reasons for the crime are in full swing," they said.

Hendrik Wust, North Rhine Westphalia minister, described the attack as "an act of terror against the security and freedom of this country". Interior minister Herbert Reul also pleaded with the public to "give time to the police".

Police officer Thorsten Fleiss, who was the chief of operations when the stabbings happened on Friday, said it had been a "big challenge" to bring together available evidence and testimonies from witnesses in order to come up with an overall picture.

Earlier in the day, police issued a warning urging people to stay vigilant, even as well-wishers started to leave flowers at the scene. They have also urged people not to speculate about the attack.

And on Saturday, the North Rhine Westphalia police force said the attack "has also left us... deeply affected, sad and stunned".

"Our condolences and deepest sympathy go out to the families, friends of the victims and all those close to them," they said.

"We are also thinking of the injured and wish them a speedy and full recovery. Our thoughts are also with all the people who wanted to celebrate peacefully in Solingen on Friday evening and instead had to fear for their lives and those of their loved ones.

"We hope that everyone affected by this senseless act will find the strength, help and support they need to process what they have experienced."

DJ and music producer Topic, who was performing at the festival, said he was on stage and asked to continue performing "to avoid mass panic" as the incident unfolded.

Solingen has about 160,000 residents and is near the bigger city of Dusseldorf and Germany's border with the Netherlands.

Information about the identities of the victims has not yet been released.

Mr Reul - the region's top security official, who visited the scene in the early hours of Saturday - told reporters it was a targeted attack on human life but declined to speculate on the motive.

The Festival of Diversity, marking the city's 650th anniversary, began on Friday and was supposed to continue over the weekend, with several stages in central streets offering attractions such as live music, cabaret and acrobatics. It has now been cancelled.

Authorities have established an online portal for witnesses to upload footage and any other information relevant to the attack.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that the perpetrator must be caught and punished quickly.

"The attack in Solingen is a terrible event that has shocked me greatly," he said. "An attacker has brutally killed several people."

-SKY NEWS