A video was found on the Ansbach suicide bomber's cell phone, showing him pledging allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group, according to a top security official of the southern German state of Bavaria, The Associated Press reported. The 27-year-old Syrian man died after he set off an explosive on Sunday night (local time) outside a music festival in Germany's Ansbach city. At least 12 people were injured in the blast.

The suicide bomber was due to be deported as his request seeking asylum in the country had been rejected, officials said. The unnamed Syrian bomber was supposed to be sent to Bulgaria since Germany does not let rejected asylum seekers return to war zones, CNN reported.

Spokesperson for the Federal Interior Ministry of Germany Johannes Dimroth said the attacker was to be deported to Bulgaria as that is where he had entered the European Union. According to the Dublin Regulation – a European Union law – member states have an obligation towards asylum seekers, he explained.

Interior Minister of Bavaria Joachim Herrmann had said earlier that he believed the attack was motivated by Islamic extremism, The Guardian reported. "My personal view is that I unfortunately think it's very likely this really was an Islamist suicide attack," he had said. However, a spokesperson for the Ansbach prosecutor's office had clarified that the motive behind the bombing was unclear.