Italy’s leaders visit victims of Modena car-ramming, stabbing attacks
TL;DR
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella visited victims of a car-ramming and stabbing attack in Modena. A 31-year-old man injured over a dozen people, with eight in serious condition, including two women who had their legs amputated.
Key points
- Giorgia Meloni and Sergio Mattarella visited attack victims
- A 31-year-old man drove into a crowd in Modena
- Eight people are in serious condition after the attack
- Two women had their legs amputated and one is in life-threatening condition
- The attack was described as indiscriminate and deliberate
Mentioned in this story
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella have visited victims of car-ramming and stabbing attacks on the main shopping street of the northern city of Modena.
At about 4:30pm local time (14:30 GMT) on Saturday, a 31-year-old man identified as Salim El Koudri drove at high speed through the city centre, hitting more than a dozen people.
The attacker also stabbed a pedestrian before being stopped by a group of passers-by. Eight people were taken to hospital in serious condition, the ANSA state news agency reported.
Two women aged 55 and 69 had their legs amputated, and one of them remains in a life-threatening condition, read a statement released on Sunday by the city prosecutor’s office. The prosecutors added that the attack was carried out “in an indiscriminate, random and deliberate manner”.
The Italian leaders did not release statements following their visits on Sunday to two hospitals where the injured are being treated. The previous day, Meloni called the attack “extremely serious” and thanked the residents who “courageously intervened to stop the perpetrator, and to the police for their intervention”.
El Koudri was born in the northern province of Bergamo to a family originally from Morocco, according to ANSA.
‘Psychiatric distress’
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said that while the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack is ongoing, the incident appears related “to a situation of psychiatric distress”.
“Nothing escaped us from the standpoint of counterterrorism prevention,” he added.
Italian broadcaster RaiNews reported that the suspect has shown symptoms of schizoid disorders and had been treated between 2022 and 2024 at a mental health centre in the same province where the incident occurred.
Far-right Deputy Minister Matteo Salvini, whose anti-immigrant League party is a member of the governing coalition, commented on the origins of El Koudri, highlighting that he was an Italian national “of second generation”.
Later, Modena’s Mayor Massimo Mezzetti underlined that two of the four citizens who promptly blocked the attacker from fleeing the scene were of foreign origin.
“They are also the symbol of a community that knows, even in such a dramatic moment, how to react, unite and intervene,” he said. “The entire Modena community will have to follow the example of these citizens.”
Q&A
What happened during the Modena car-ramming and stabbing attack?
A 31-year-old man drove through Modena's city center, hitting over a dozen people and stabbing a pedestrian before being stopped.
How many people were injured in the Modena attack?
More than a dozen people were injured, with eight in serious condition, including two women who had their legs amputated.
What did Italy's leaders say about the Modena attack?
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the attack 'extremely serious' and thanked residents and police for their quick response, but no statements were released after visiting the victims.
