Officials defend Magdeburg security days after Christmas market attack killed five

euronews (in English)

German authorities are also under pressure to explain why they didn’t act more swiftly on tipoffs they received last year about the suspect who has been named only as Taleb A. in line with German privacy laws.

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00:00Saxony-Anhalt's interior minister has defended security measures in Magdeburg two days after

00:07a car drove into the city's Christmas market, killing five and injuring more than 200.

00:13Tamara Ciesiang said there was a high police presence at Christmas markets across the state.

00:19The state police prepared intensively to secure Christmas markets across the state.

00:27We have also used the new legal possibility for unnecessary checks of bags and backpacks

00:36intensively, especially in Magdeburg, on the Christmas market, to enforce the weapon and

00:39knife ban in the Christmas markets.

00:43The suspect, known only as Taleb Ayers, a Saudi national who moved to Germany in 2006.

00:49He was charged with murder and attempted murder on Sunday.

00:53But German authorities are now under pressure to explain why they didn't act more swiftly

00:58on tip-offs they received about him last year.

01:01The head of the federal criminal police office said they'd received a tip-off from Saudi

01:05Arabia which led authorities to launch appropriate investigative measures.

01:10But he said the warnings proved to be unspecific.

01:28And the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees also said it received a tip-off about Taleb

01:33Ayers late summer last year.

01:35But the office said it's not an investigative authority and that it referred the information

01:39to the responsible authorities.

01:41Meanwhile, the Christmas market in Magdeburg has reopened but with an increased police

01:46presence.

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