Overview

• Up to 100 members of two extended Mhallami clans clashed in Heiligenhaus, prompting NRW police to deploy a helicopter and ground units.
• Authorities detained main participants and treated multiple injuries, including a 38-year-old man with life-threatening knife wounds.
• Interior Minister Herbert Reul praised the rapid intervention and urged parties to seek legal avenues for disputes, while SPD deputy Elisabeth Müller-Witt accused him of failing to curb clan violence over eight years.
• Police circles report that mass clan brawls have declined compared with a decade ago, although their spontaneous nature poses ongoing policing challenges.
• Analysts warn that younger clan members’ diminished respect for elders and the absence of Sulha mediation could spark further retaliatory violence.