Munich plans stricter security at Oktoberfest after Solingen attack

Security measures for the world-famous Oktoberfest beer festival in the southern German city of Munich are to be intensified following the deadly knife attack in Solingen, reported dpa.

"In light of the current security situation, we will once again intensify the controls," Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter announced on Monday. As a result, he said that there could be longer waiting times at the entry points. Safety, he asserted, takes precedence.

The festival, known locally as the Wiesn, is considered the largest folk festival in the world and attracts millions of guests from Germany and abroad every year.

This year, the Oktoberfest is scheduled to run from September 21 to October 6.

Over the weekend, festival chief Clemens Baumgärtner announced that the security concept would be reviewed again. He stated: "Solingen does not throw us completely off track, and it is not the case that we need to reinvent the wheel, as these attack scenarios are already considered in the security concept.

"But it would be negligent not to review everything again now."

On Friday, three people were killed in a knife attack in the western German city of Solingen in the state of North Rhine Westphalia. The Federal Prosecutor's Office has taken over the case and is investigating a suspect on charges of murder and suspicion of membership in the terrorist militia Islamic State. The 26-year-old Syrian suspect is in custody.