German police say honour could be behind cafe shooting (Roundup)

Aug 13, 2008, 17:24 GMT

Berlin - A shooting at an ice cream parlour in the German city of Ruesselsheim that claimed three lives could have resulted from conflict over family honour in the city's Turkish community, German police said Wednesday.

Police said they had arrested two Turkish men aged 28 and 49 after searching several premises in the region.

Police spokesman Stefan Mueller said around four men had been seated at a table in the De Rocco cafe when they were attacked by a group of similar size at around 8 pm on Tuesday evening.

One of the attackers, a Turkish man aged 26, died in the ensuing shoot-out, while a 29-year-old Turkish man from the group sitting at the table also died.

Media reports said the men came from the large Kurdish-Turkish community in the region.

A third man, 31, also thought to belong to the attacking group and the brother of the dead 26-year-old, was seriously injured. Mueller said he was no longer in danger and was under police guard before appearing in court.

A 55-year-old woman, described by Mueller as an innocent bystander, also died as a result of internal bleeding after being hit in the attack that took place in a pedestrian zone near the station in the city, which lies to the south-west of Frankfurt.

Police did not confirm reports that the killings could be linked to drug deals or unpaid gambling debts.