Syrian man crying 'Allahu Akbar' tries to run into Berlin synagogue with knife

A man armed with a knife attempted to run into a synagogue in central Berlin Friday evening, German media reported Saturday.

The man, apparently a Syrian refugee, was tackled by security personnel at the entrance to the Neue Synagogue. According to the Bild website, he was heard calling out "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Great" in Arabic) and "Fuck Israel."

German police said the man, identified as Murad M., was hit with pepper spray by guards and then subdued and disarmed.

Officials said he carried documentation identifying him as 23 years old, originating from Damascus and with a residency permit, which ends in December 2020. The incident occurred at around 5:30 p.m. according to Bild, likely shortly before the start of Friday's evening prayer service.

Police said the assailant had no prior record and was not known to authorities. The investigation was ongoing, but German media said that the man was released from police custody on Saturday morning.

The incident came a day after a staffer at Paris police headquarters who adhered to "a radical vision of Islam" stabbed four colleagues to death. Sources said he had worked in a section of the police service dedicated to collecting information on jihadist radicalization.