Three killed and seven injured in knife attack at a festival in western Germany

A man killed three people and left several others wounded in a knife attack Friday during a municipal festival in Solingen, western Germany, said police.

Security forces launched a "major operation" to find the suspect, with a significant at the scene of the attack, a police spokesman in the nearby city of Düsseldorf said.

Television station ZDF reported a large deployment of security forces in the area, including helicopters and emergency vehicles. According to the report, officers asked citizens to leave the are.

Local newspaper Solinger Tageblatt said, citing sources at the scene, that the attack had left three dead and seven wounded.

Meanwhile, it was learned that after the investigation began, the main suspect in the attack turned himself in to the authorities and confessed to his act. He is a 26-year-old Syrian man.

The festival where the stabbing took place was part of a series of events to celebrate Solingen's 650th anniversary.

With some 150,000 inhabitants, this small town lies in the Ruhr mining district, between the major cities of Düsseldorf and Cologne.

Juvenile arrested and linked to attacker

German police confirmed the arrest of a 15-year-old linked to the attacker. No further information was given due to the detainee's age.

Police also confirmed that they have received testimonies from some of the survivors that the attacker was allegedly arguing with someone at the scene. It is not known whether this was the teenage detainee.

'It breaks my heart'

In an online statement, Solingen Mayor Tim-Oliver Kurzbach said the city was "shocked, horrified, and in great pain."

"We all wanted to celebrate our city's anniversary together, and now we have to mourn for the dead and the injured," he added.

"It breaks my heart that there was an attack in our city. I have tears in my eyes when I think of those we have lost. I pray for those who are still fighting for their lives," he said.

People had flocked to the city center for the first of three days of celebrations that included live music, street performances and a variety of comedy shows.

City officials expected to the festival to attract as many as 75,000 visitors over the three days of activities.

After the attack, one of the organizers asked the public to leave the are and said emergency crews were trying to save several people, Solinger Tageblatt reported.

Several knife attacks have been reported in the past year in Germany that prompted Interior Minister Nancy Faeser to vow to crack down on these crimes.

A double security threat hangs over the country, with jihadist attacks and the actions of extreme right-wing groups.