Germany: Afghan man assaulted in Dresden by attacker with 'Hitler moustache' and Nazi helmet

A man with a 'Hitler moustache' and Nazi-style helmet assaulted an Afghan immigrant and performed a Nazi salute before fleeing the scene. The attack took place on a sledding-slope in Geising, south of Dresden in eastern Germany, on 16 January.

Two Afghan men aged 21 and 26 were approached by a man who witnesses said insulted the pair before hitting the younger man's head and knocking him to the ground, AP reported. The attacker is believed to have performed a Nazi salute before fleeing the scene when bystanders stepped in.

The attacker is described as being between 25 - 30-years-old, with a shaved head and a strong build. Dresden police are currently seeking the man on charges of assault and the display of banned symbols.

The assault in eastern Germany comes amid a backdrop of regular marches by the far-right group Pegida in Dresden, the organisation's stronghold. The anti-Islamic group is in favour of stricter controls on immigration and asylum, and its demonstrations have been criticised by German chancellor Angela Merkel for being divisive.

Most recently, the group attracted crowds of thousands following around 90 sexual assaults on women in Cologne on New Year's Eve, allegedly carried out by migrants. Counter groups have also sprung up in the city, drawing crowds of thousands, who march against Pegida's ideals.

The far-right group has also seen branches spring up as far afield as the UK, where the former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson is fronting an offshoot of the group, intending to enact anti-immigration protests in 2016.