Police in the German city of Moers shot dead a 26-year-old man after he threatened residents with knives. The incident took place west of the western city of Duisburg, north of Düsseldorf, on Tuesday.

Duisburg police said on Tuesday evening that a probe would be launched into the incident.

Local prosecutors say officers were called into a residential area, where the 26-year-old had threatened neighbors with knives. The man is said to have also confronted and attacked the police officers with two knives. 

As a result, officers fired on the man, fatally injuring him. The man's motive remains unclear, the public prosecutor handling the case said. 

The incident comes days after three people were killed at a festival in the city of Solingen, which is located in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the same federal state as Moers.

According to NRW Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul (CDU), the state has seen an increase in knife attacks of more than 22% compared to the previous year.

Almost all suspects were under the age of 21 (34.4%) and 86.7% were male. 

jcg/sms (dpa, EPD)

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