Huge manhunt after at least eight killed in Germany shootings
Hanau: A huge manhunt was under way Thursday after at least eight people were killed and several injured in two shootings at shisha bars in Germany.
The attacks targeted bars in Hanau, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Frankfurt, where armed police quickly fanned out and police helicopters roamed the sky looking for those responsible for the bloodshed.
The first attack occurred at the "Midnight" bar in the centre of the city around 10pm (2100 GMT), police and reports said. Three people were killed in front of the building, local media said, with witnesses reporting hearing a dozen shots.
The attacker, or attackers, fled the scene by car, according to police. There was then a second shooting at Arena Bar.
A gunman reportedly rang the doorbell and shot people in the smoking area, killing five people including a woman, according to mass-circulation Bild, adding that the victims were of Kurdish origin.
"The victims are people we have known for years," said the bar manager's son, quoted by DPA news agency. Two employees were among the victims, according to the man, who was not at the bar during the shooting. "It is a shock for everyone".
At least five people were also seriously wounded in the attacks, reports said.
An AFP journalist at the scene saw around thirty police cars leaving Hanau police station. Witnesses said police officers with machine guns were deployed in the city.
A silver Mercedes covered by what looked like a survival blanket could be seen behind a police cordon and surrounded by officers in front of "Arena Bar", with shattered glass on the floor.
"The police can now confirm that eight people were fatally wounded. The search for suspects is going at top speed. There is no clear information yet as to a motive," authorities said, adding that several had been injured.
The mayor of Hanau, Claus Kaminsky, told mass circulation Bild that it had been "a terrible night".
"You could not imagine a worse night. It will of course keep us busy for a long, long time and remain a sad memory." "I am deeply moved. Just the fact that eight people have lost their lives has shaken me up. But I ask all citizens not to speculate.
The police must have the chance to clear up the situation and investigate -- until then, we should wait with prudence, no matter how hard this may be." MP for the region, Katja Leikert said it was "a real horror scenario".
"On this dreadful night for Hanau, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the relatives of those killed. I hope the injured will recover quickly," she said.
Germany has been targeted in recent years by several extremist attacks, one of which killed 12 people in the heart of Berlin in December 2016.
Far-right attacks have become a particular concern for German authorities.
In October, a deadly anti-Semitic gun attack in the eastern city of Halle on the holy day of Yom Kippur underscored the rising threat of neo-Nazi violence. The rampage, in which two people were shot dead, was streamed live.
Last June conservative politician Walter Luebcke, an advocate of a liberal refugee policy, was shot at his home.
On Friday police arrested 12 members of a German extreme right group believed to have been plotting "shocking" large-scale attacks on mosques similar to the ones carried out in New Zealand last year.
German-Turkish Islamic organisation Ditib, which funds around 900 mosques in Germany, called for greater protections for Muslims in the country, saying they "no longer feel safe" in Germany.
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Three booked as crackers burst during election campaign trigger fire in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): A case has been registered against three Shiv Sena (UBT) workers for allegedly violating campaign conditions after they burst firecrackers at an election rally, sparking a fire in Mumbai, officials said on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening near the Govardhan building in central Mumbai’s N M Joshi Marg area, they said.
Sena (UBT) leader and former mayor Kishor Pednekar, who is contesting from ward no. 1999, was taking out a rally at the time. Sena (UBT) worker Ramchandra Yesode had organised the rally, and it had been granted police permission with certain conditions.
As Pednekar began visiting houses as part of the campaign for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, some of her supporters burst firecrackers on the road despite objections from policemen deployed for the rally, an official said.
The firecrackers exploded in all directions, triggering a fire in a room on the fifth floor of Irani Chawl and in three other houses, he said.
Police later identified Soham Sarwankar (21) and Omsai Pansare (20) as those who burst the firecrackers.
A case was then registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Maharashtra Police Act against organiser Yesode, Sarwankar and Pansare at the N M Joshi Marg police station, he said, adding that further probe is underway.
