ISIS claims deadly Berlin Christmas market attack

ISIS has claimed the responsibility for the deadly truck attack in Berlin that claimed the lives of 12 and injured more the 48, its official news agency Amaq reported.

The incident occurred on the Breitscheidplatz square, near the location of Berlin's iconic Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church along the Kurfürstendamm shopping mile.

The driver of the truck is believed to have fled the scene; however, no arrests have been made so far.

Germany releases Pakistani held over Berlin attack

A Pakistani asylum seeker suspected of ploughing a lorry into a Berlin Christmas market and killing 12 people was released Tuesday for lack of evidence, prosecutors said.

“The accused, detained over the attack on the Berlin Christmas market on December 19, 2016, was let go on this evening on the orders of the federal prosecutor,” his office said in a statement. Authorities identified the man earlier as a Pakistani asylum seeker.

“The forensic tests carried out so far did not provide evidence of the accused's presence during the crimes in the cab of the lorry.”

The incident evoked memories of an attack in France in July when Tunisian-born Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a 19-tonne truck along the beach front, mowing down people who had gathered to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day, killing 86 people.

Police shot the driver dead in the Nice attack claimed by ISIS.

Television pictures from Berlin showed the truck standing amid debris by small wooden stalls that make up the ‘Christkindlmarkt’ of which there are several in Berlin at this time of year.

Police cars and ambulances converged on the scene.

(Reuters, AFP)