German Christmas market attack death toll rises to four: Doctor, 50, held after car smashed through crowd is 'an ex-Muslim who fled Saudi Arabia in 2006'

The death toll of a deadly Christmas market massacre carried out by an anti-Islam doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 as a refugee from Saudi Arabia has now risen to four, according to local reports. 

An adult and a toddler are among those killed after an anti-Islam doctor rammed into a massive crowd of shoppers at a Christmas market in Magdeburg at around 7pm on December 20 with a dark BMW.

The initial death toll from the horrific attack on Friday evening had stood at two, although police are now reporting there have been four deaths, according to German newspaper Bild.

It added that 86 people are receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries, while another 78 sustained minor injuries. Police were not immediately available to comment on casualties.

Footage taken in the minutes after the crash showed al-Abdulmohsen being arrested at gunpoint by German police. 

MailOnline can reveal that al-Abdulmohsen, a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy from the Saudi Arabian city of Hofuf, moved to Germany in 2006 and lives in Bernburg. He has been recognised as a refugee since 2016. 

Previous media reports suggest he had worked to help ex-Muslims, particularly women, to flee Saudi Arabia after turning their backs on the religion.

Analysis of his social media reveals tweets in support of Germany's anti-immigration party AfD, while he has also made comments supporting Elon Musk, far-right thug Tommy Robinson and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

The account's bio reads: 'Saudi Military Opposition. Germany chases female Saudi asylum seekers, inside and outside Germany, to destroy their lives. Germany wants to islamize Europe.'

Posts include retweets of graphic videos, including one of a young Muslim woman purportedly being stoned to death 'because she had an affair with a young man outside of marriage.'

Another was a retweet of a post that simply read: 'Can you find one positive thing about Islam?'

In videos posted hours before the attack, he claimed that German authorities were opening his mail and stealing items including a USB stick. 

'I consider the Germans, as citizens, responsible for the persecution I am facing' he said in one video. 

'Currently in this country, the nation that is actively criminally chasing Islam critics is the German nation', he said in another.

He also appears to be a fan of AfD. In June, he retweeted party leader Alice Weidel, writing with typos: 'The left are crazy. We need the AfD to protect the police from them.'

He also retweeted the right-wing extremist AfD activist Naomi Seibt with the following quote: 'Tyranny is based on the docility of cowards. I choose to be brave.' 

He was arrested following the crash which took place at 7:04pm in the city of Magdeburg, according to unidentified government officials in the state of Saxony-Anhalt who spoke to the dpa news agency. 

A search of his name and details of his work revealed he was interviewed by the Frankfurter Rundschau, a regional newspaper, in 2019. 

'He came to Germany as a visiting doctor during his specialist training as a psychotherapist and later applied for asylum here because he had been threatened with death for turning away from Islam. The 44-year-old is recognized as a political refugee', the newspaper wrote of him five years ago. 

In the Frankfurter Rundschau interview, he described his work with the wearesaudis.net website, a group dedicated to providing information on 'escape routes' for people living in Saudi Arabia, particularly women. 

He said in the 2019 interview: 'Nine out of ten people from Saudi Arabia who ask me about the asylum system are women. 

'Other asylum activists report similar figures. This may be because for Saudi Arabian women, asylum is the only path to justice. Even if a woman is not oppressed, her fate depends on her male guardian. 

'There are women who say that they have good husbands who do not oppress them, but they wonder what will happen if the man dies. 

'If the new man beats her, she will not get any help. A woman is only protected if she has powerful men in her family.'

Just five days before carrying out the attack, Al-Abdulmohsen gave an interview with the right-wing RAIR Foundation in which he said: 'If a Syrian citizen applies for asylum in Germany, the chance to be granted asylum is 99.8%… While if a Saudi citizen applies for asylum in Germany, that chance is only 70%, and I know personally that many of those rejected are ex-Muslims. 

'Germany is welcoming Syrians—including many Islamists—while simultaneously rejecting Saudi apostates, people who are genuinely fleeing Sharia-based death sentences.'

Since news of the attack spread around the world, RAIR said in a statement: 'If these reports are accurate, it appears we and other media outlets were misled regarding his true intentions.

'We are actively seeking more information and will provide updates as they become available.'

Several cops were seen crowding around the man with their weapons drawn while shouting at him. Cops were also seen shooing the growing crowd around the arrest incident, as a police officer crouches down over him with a torch. 

'From what we currently know he was a lone attacker so we don't think there is any further danger for the city,' he added.

German broadcaster MDR reported that a suspected explosive device is currently sitting in the vehicle. 

Local officials had initially said at least two people were killed and had warned that the toll could rise.  

Bild reported that the car was driven 'at least 400m (1,300ft) across the Christmas market', per a police spokesperson.  

Local authorities said that around 100 firefighters attended the scene on Friday with seven fire brigades, while 50 rescue service personnel are there.  

Horrific video footage showed countless revellers fleeing for their lives in the wake of the crash. Separate footage showed children crying loudly as several small crowds of people formed over those injured in the crash, in apparent attempts to help them. 

One man who spoke to  German newspaper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung said the Christmas market has turned to 'war-like conditions', while another eyewitness told the newspaper that there were countless families in the 'fairytale area' of the market when the car crashed through the crowd. 

Local police said on X that 'extensive police operations are currently taking place', adding that further reports will be made shortly.  

The Magdeburg Christmas market is located on the Old Market, directly next to Magdeburg Town Hall near the River Elbe, and was closed by organisers following the incident. 

Organisers have also asked people to leave the city centre. A spokesperson in the city said that all hospitals are 'preparing for a mass casualty event.'

Magdeburg's University Hospital said it was 'taking care of 10 to 20 patients', adding it was preparing for more. 

Neighbouring cities, including Halle, around 50 miles from Magdeburg, are preparing its hospitals to take on victims. 

Halle is also stepping up its own security measures in the wake of the incident. 

Regional government spokesperson Matthias Schuppe and city spokesperson Michael Reif said they suspected it was a deliberate act.

'The pictures are terrible,' Reif said. 'My information is that a car drove into the Christmas market visitors, but I can't yet say from what direction and how far.'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concern in a post to X, writing: 'The reports from Magdeburg suggest something bad. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.'

In a post to X, Germany's interior minister said: 'The news from Magdeburg is deeply shocking. The emergency services are doing everything they can to care for the injured and save lives.

'Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. The security authorities will clarify the background.'

Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff said in the wake of the attack: 'This is a terrible event, especially now in the days before Christmas.'

Haselhoff is said to be travelling to the city to bear witness to the aftermath of the attack. 

Robert Habeck, Germany's vice-chancellor, said in a post to X: 'What terrible news from Magdeburg, where people wanted to spend the Advent season in peace and community. 

'My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I thank all the emergency services on site who are doing everything they can to help and to clarify the background.'

CDU candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) wrote on X: 'This is very depressing news from Magdeburg. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I thank all emergency services who are caring for the injured on site.'

AfD leader Alice Weidel, meanwhile, wrote on the platform: 'The images from Magdeburg are shocking! My thoughts are with the bereaved and injured. When will this madness end?'

The world has already begun reacting to the horrific news. 

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote on X: 'I am horrified by the atrocious attack in Magdeburg tonight. 

'My thoughts are with the victims, their families and all those affected. We stand with the people of Germany.'

The Government is in contact with German authorities, the Foreign Office said, and is closely monitoring the situation.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was 'appalled by the news from Magdeburg' and offered support to his German counterpart.

Saudi Arabia, where the attacker was from, said in a statement on X: 'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's condemnation of the run-over incident that occurred in a market in the city of Magdeburg in the Federal Republic of Germany, which resulted in the death and injury of a number of people, expressing its solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims. 

'The Kingdom affirms its position in rejecting violence, and expresses its sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and to the Federal Republic of Germany, government and people, while wishing the injured a speedy recovery.'

The UK's Foreign Office, meanwhile, said it was 'closely monitoring the situation,;

A spokesperson said: 'We are in contact with the German authorities following an incident in the city of Magdeburg and are closely monitoring the situation.

'Our thoughts are with all those affected.'

Magdeburg, which is west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt and has about 240,000 inhabitants.