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| Ansbach explosion: Syrian asylum seeker blows himself up in Germany | Ansbach explosion: Syrian asylum seeker blows himself up in Germany |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A failed Syrian asylum seeker has blown himself up and injured 15 other people with a backpack bomb near a festival in the south German town of Ansbach. | |
| The 27-year-old man, who faced deportation to Bulgaria, detonated the device after being refused entry to the music festival, Bavarian officials say. | The 27-year-old man, who faced deportation to Bulgaria, detonated the device after being refused entry to the music festival, Bavarian officials say. |
| About 2,500 people were evacuated from the venue after the explosion. | About 2,500 people were evacuated from the venue after the explosion. |
| It is the third violent attack in Bavaria in a week. The state's premier described it as "days of horror". | |
| Bavaria has been on edge since a knife attack on a train last week that so-called Islamic State (IS) said it was behind. | |
| On Friday a gun attack killed nine in Munich. | |
| The Ansbach blast took place at 22:10 (20:10 GMT) on Sunday evening, outside the Eugens Weinstube bar in the centre of the town, which has a population of 40,000 and is home to a US military base. | |
| The bomb went off close to the entrance to the Ansbach Open music festival. | The bomb went off close to the entrance to the Ansbach Open music festival. |
| A witness, Thomas Debinski, reported "panic" after the explosion, although some people had thought it was caused by a gas explosion. | A witness, Thomas Debinski, reported "panic" after the explosion, although some people had thought it was caused by a gas explosion. |
| "Then people came past and said it was a rucksack that had exploded," he told Sky News. | "Then people came past and said it was a rucksack that had exploded," he told Sky News. |
| The town's mayor, Carla Seidel, confirmed that there were 15 injured, four of them in a serious condition. | |
| Security services have sealed off the city centre and experts are trying to establish the kind of explosives the bomber used. | Security services have sealed off the city centre and experts are trying to establish the kind of explosives the bomber used. |
| In other developments | In other developments |
| Seven deadly days | Seven deadly days |
| A week of bloody attacks has frayed nerves in Germany, which led the way in accepting asylum seekers from Syria. To date, only the first has been linked to a militant group: | A week of bloody attacks has frayed nerves in Germany, which led the way in accepting asylum seekers from Syria. To date, only the first has been linked to a militant group: |
| German media on the attacks | German media on the attacks |
| Failed application | Failed application |
| The Syrian man entered Germany two years ago and had his asylum claim rejected a year ago, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said. | The Syrian man entered Germany two years ago and had his asylum claim rejected a year ago, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said. |
| He had been given leave to stay temporarily given the situation in his home country and provided with accommodation in Ansbach, Mr Herrmann added. | He had been given leave to stay temporarily given the situation in his home country and provided with accommodation in Ansbach, Mr Herrmann added. |
| A federal interior ministry spokesman, Tobias Plate, confirmed the man had faced deportation to Bulgaria. | A federal interior ministry spokesman, Tobias Plate, confirmed the man had faced deportation to Bulgaria. |
| "Syrians cannot at the moment be deported to Syria, but that doesn't mean that Syrians overall cannot be deported," he told reporters in Berlin. | "Syrians cannot at the moment be deported to Syria, but that doesn't mean that Syrians overall cannot be deported," he told reporters in Berlin. |
| Mr Herrmann said he was "incensed" by the attack which, he continued, demonstrated the need to "strengthen controls on those we have living in our country". | Mr Herrmann said he was "incensed" by the attack which, he continued, demonstrated the need to "strengthen controls on those we have living in our country". |
| The Syrian asylum seekers rejected by Germany | The Syrian asylum seekers rejected by Germany |
| Germany has been the main destination of Syrian asylum seekers entering the EU, most of them arriving irregularly in Greece via Turkey. | Germany has been the main destination of Syrian asylum seekers entering the EU, most of them arriving irregularly in Greece via Turkey. |
| Only 23 Syrians had their applications for asylum rejected by the country last year, out of a total of 105,620 decisions on Syrians' applications. A common reason for rejecting an application is when the asylum seeker submits false or incomplete information. | |
| Just under half of asylum seekers rejected by Germany in the past two years were allowed to stay on in the country, according to a recent report in German daily Die Welt (in German). | Just under half of asylum seekers rejected by Germany in the past two years were allowed to stay on in the country, according to a recent report in German daily Die Welt (in German). |
| The Ansbach bomber, who was among those rejected for asylum in 2015, appears to have been placed in a former hotel in the town, designated by the municipal authorities for asylum seekers since 2014. | The Ansbach bomber, who was among those rejected for asylum in 2015, appears to have been placed in a former hotel in the town, designated by the municipal authorities for asylum seekers since 2014. |
| Source of statistics: German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees report (in German) | |
| Ansbach deputy police chief Roman Fertinger said there were "indications" that pieces of metal had been added to the explosive device. | Ansbach deputy police chief Roman Fertinger said there were "indications" that pieces of metal had been added to the explosive device. |
| "The obvious intention to kill more people indicates an Islamist connection," Mr Hermann said. | "The obvious intention to kill more people indicates an Islamist connection," Mr Hermann said. |
| 'He told lies so often' | 'He told lies so often' |
| Mr Herrmann said the man had been known to have tried to take his own life twice and had spent time in a psychiatric clinic. | Mr Herrmann said the man had been known to have tried to take his own life twice and had spent time in a psychiatric clinic. |
| "We don't know if this man planned on suicide or if he had the intention of killing others," he said. | "We don't know if this man planned on suicide or if he had the intention of killing others," he said. |
| A resident of the former Ansbach hotel where the bomber had lived, Alireza Khodadadi, told the Associated Press news agency that he had occasionally drunk coffee with the Syrian, whom he named only as Mohammed, and they had discussed religion. | A resident of the former Ansbach hotel where the bomber had lived, Alireza Khodadadi, told the Associated Press news agency that he had occasionally drunk coffee with the Syrian, whom he named only as Mohammed, and they had discussed religion. |
| Mohammed, he said, told him IS was not representative of Islam: "He always said that, 'No, I'm not with them, I don't like them and such stuff.' | Mohammed, he said, told him IS was not representative of Islam: "He always said that, 'No, I'm not with them, I don't like them and such stuff.' |
| "But I think he had some issues because, you know, he told lies so often without any reason, and I understand that he wants to be in the centre of [attention], you know, he needed [attention],'' Mr Khodadadi added. | "But I think he had some issues because, you know, he told lies so often without any reason, and I understand that he wants to be in the centre of [attention], you know, he needed [attention],'' Mr Khodadadi added. |
| Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the incident? Tell us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the incident? Tell us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| You can also contact us in the following ways: | You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |