Several dead, about 60 injured when car plows into German Christmas market: Sources

(BERLIN) — A car plowed into people visiting a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday, killing several and injuring about 60 others, according to U.S. law enforcement sources.

German authorities are treating the incident as terrorism, U.S. law enforcement sources told ABC News.

A suspect has been arrested in the attack that sent shoppers fleeing in panic, U.S. sources said.

Extensive police operations are underway at the Magdeburg Christmas market, which is now closed, local police said.

The motive is unknown at this time, U.S. sources said.

“My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. “We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours.”

Magdeburg is about a two-hour drive west of Berlin.

This incident comes nearly eight years to the day after a terror attack at a different German Christmas market. On Dec. 19, 2016, a man drove a truck into a crowd at a market in Berlin, killing 13 and injuring dozens.

The potential for vehicle-ramming attacks is an ongoing concern for U.S. law enforcement officials, especially ahead of New Year’s Eve. A joint threat assessment about New Year’s Eve in New York City’s Times Square noted the use of vehicle-ramming alone or in conjunction with other tactics “has become a recurring tactic employed by threat actors in the West.”

The NYPD, out of an abundance of caution, will surge resources to similar areas around the city, including Christmas markets, according to NYPD deputy commissioner for counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner.

“We know this is a very festive time, it is a busy time in the city, and we are going to make sure that all of our holiday markets, all of our holiday activities are protected by our counter weapons teams, by officers on patrol, all our counter-terrorism officers, our critical response command,” Weiner told ABC New York station WABC.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.