Islamic State takes credit for knife attack in Germany

HAMBURG, Germany, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The Islamic State has taken credit for a fatal stabbing attack in Germany two weeks ago, but authorities in Hamburg said they are not so sure.

German officials were working Sunday to validate a claim by the militant group that an attack on a couple by a lake was perpetrated by a "soldier of the Islamic State."

On October 16, two teenagers were sitting near the shore of the Alster Lake in Hamburg when a man they described as Middle Eastern looking came up to them, stabbing a 16-year-old boy several times and shoving a 15-year-old girl into the water. The girl got away and called police, but the boy died later that night as a result of his injuries.

The attacker fled and has not been caught while police in Hamburg, who are working with German counter terror officials, have chased down leads.

The Islamic State -- also identified as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh -- posted a statement on the website of its news agency taking credit for the attack, calling the attacker "a soldier of the Islamic State" who "carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of coalition countries."

Police officials say the attack appears to have been random, but they remain unconvinced the militant group is actually behind the murder despite their statement taking credit for it.

"We are checking this to determine its authenticity, but the statement doesn't match the results of our investigation," a Hamburg police spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal. "There are at least contradictions between our investigation and what they are saying."