A far-right politician has been injured in a knife attack in the Mannheim city where a police officer was died due to knife attack just some days ago.
The man is a candidate for the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), was attacked in Mannheim, was left with cuts in the attack.
Police confirmed the incident took place in evening, close to scene of Friday’s deadly attack that targeted organisers of a rally against radical Islam and which claimed the life of a 29-year-old officer.
Police said there were “no concrete indications” the suspect knew he was attacking a politician, despite attempts by the AfD to portray it as part of a targeted campaign by left-wing extremists against its members.
The politician was injured in the incident but did not suffer life-threatening injuries German DPA news agency reported.
The incident happened when the candidate confronted the suspect, who was tearing down election posters near a town square, according to the AfD.
Police in the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg said they arrested a 25-year-old suspect, who was then taken to a psychiatric hospital after showing clear signs of mental illness.
The politician needed stitches in his head and had a cut to his stomach, according to party officials.
Investigators say the suspected attacker is a 25-year-old man from Afghanistan who has lived in Germany since 2014 and reportedly had his asylum application rejected.
The killing sparked outrage in Germany, prompting the government to say it may allow deportations to Afghanistan. Deportations to Afghanistan were halted when the Taliban returned to power three years ago.
The mayor of Mannheim, Christian Specht said in a statement denounced the latest attack as abhorrent. “The hatred and willingness to use violence that is currently erupting in our society is intolerable,”.