Syrian migrant kills himself, wounds dozen in German bar blast

PanARMENIAN.Net - A Syrian migrant set off an explosion at a bar in southern Germany that killed himself and wounded a dozen others late Sunday, July 24, authorities said, the third attack to hit Bavaria in a week, AFP reports.

The 27-year-old, who had spent a stint in a psychiatric facility, had intended to target a music festival in the city of Ansbach but was turned away because he did not have a ticket.

"Unfortunately, this is a terrible new attack which will surely increase people's anxiety," regional interior minister Joachim Herrmann said, adding that investigators "have not ruled out" he had an Islamist motive.

Hermann said he was worried "the right to asylum would be undermined" by the events of the past week, which has seen attacks on a train and shopping mall in the southern German state, AFP says.

Sunday's explosion happened just outside a bar in Ansbach city centre, not far from where more than 2,000 people had gathered for the concert, at around 10:00 pm (2000 GMT).

Police have blocked off the area and emergency services were at the scene. Bomb experts were also sent to determine the cause of the blast.

Ansbach deputy police chief Roman Fertinger said there were "indications" pieces of metal had been added to the explosive device.

The perpetrator was killed in the explosion, police said in a statement, and a spokeswoman said 12 people were wounded, three of them seriously.