A man was seriously injured in a stabbing attack at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial on Friday evening, just two days before Germany's national elections. The incident occurred around 6:00 PM local time near the U.S. Embassy, triggering a massive police response and manhunt across the German capital.

The victim was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery with serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his upper body, according to police officials. Six people who witnessed the attack are being treated for shock.

Between 80 and 100 detectives and officers are now searching throughout Berlin, deploying both plainclothes and uniformed personnel in foot and car patrols, according to Florian Nath, lead spokesperson for the city's police department.

The attack took place at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, one of Germany's most sacred sites, which covers more than four-and-a-half acres and contains 2,711 concrete slabs commemorating the victims of the Holocaust.

The incident comes at a sensitive time, as Germans prepare for Sunday's parliamentary elections. Recent attacks have intensified debate around immigration and security, with polls showing increased support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Earlier on Friday, in an unrelated incident, German police arrested an 18-year-old Russian man on suspicion of planning a 'politically motivated' attack in Berlin. The country has also seen a concerning rise in anti-Semitic incidents, with 5,164 such crimes recorded in 2023, compared to 2,641 in 2022.