Berlin

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Police in the German city of Solingen said on Saturday (Aug 23) that the man who carried out a knife attack at the "Festival of Diversity" had aimed specifically for slitting people's throats. The stabbing attack killed three people and injured eight others.

Of the total eight injured, five were reported to be in serious condition. The motive of the attack is still not known. "Both victims and witnesses are currently being questioned. The police are currently searching for the perpetrator with a large team," police said.

The attack occurred at the Fronhof, a market square in Solingen where live bands were playing.

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Attacker yet to be caught

The attacker is yet to be caught. In a post on X, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said, "Our security authorities are doing everything they can to catch the perpetrator and investigate the background of the attack."

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Fatal stabbings and shootings are relatively uncommon in Germany. This attack came after the government recently said that it wanted to toughen rules on knives that can be carried in public by reducing the maximum length allowed.

Festival cancelled 

The Festival of Diversity, which marked Solingen's 650th anniversary, began Friday and was supposed to run through Sunday. However, the festival was cancelled following the attack.

Solingen has about 160,000 residents and is located near the bigger cities of Cologne and Duesseldorf.

In a post on Facebook, Solingen's Mayor Tim Kurzbach said, "This evening, we in Solingen are all in shock. We all wanted to celebrate our city’s anniversary together and now have dead and wounded to lament.”

(With inputs from agencies)