2016 Berlin truck attack
december truck deliberately driven christmas market next kaiser wilhelm memorial church breitscheidplatz berlin leaving people dead others injured one victim truck original driver łukasz urban found shot dead passenger seat truck eventually stopped automatic brake perpetrator ani amri unsuccessful asylum seeker tunisia four day attack killed shootout police near milan italy initial suspect arrested later released due lack evidence nearly five year attack man critically injured attack died complication related wound becoming th victim december attack remains worst islamist terrorist attack number casualty german history islamic state iraq levant claimed responsibility attack released video perpetrator ani amri pledging allegiance terror group leader abu bakr albaghdadi berlin attack took place time heightened islamist terrorist activity europe several terrorist attack germany neighboring country linked isi similar truck attack christmas market berlin eg nantes attack nice truck attack france vehicle involved black scania r semitrailer truck bore polish number plate belonged polish delivery company usługi transportowe transport service ariel żurawski based sobiemyśl truck return leg poland started trip turin italy transporting steel beam berlin warehouse owned thyssenkrupp head delivery company ariel żurawski reported cousin łukasz robert urban driving truck berlin could imagine responsible attack żurawskis company last contacted urban urban reported arrived berlin warehouse day early wait overnight unload truck following morning last photo urban still alive taken kebab shop near thyssenkrupp warehouse family unable contact urban since żurawski suspected truck hijacked based gps coordinate well indication driven erratically żurawski later identified victim found truck cousin urban original driver semitrailer urban killed perpetrator attack according postmortem examination cited german medium urban shot head december local time perpetrator drove stolen truck christmas market breitscheidplatz city west berlin killing people injuring incident deadliest terrorist attack germany since attack oktoberfest munich killed people injured others truck came direction hardenbergstraße drove metre ft market destroyed several stall turning back onto budapester straße coming stop level kaiser wilhelm memorial church several witness saw driver leave truck flee towards tiergarten one witness ran łukasz urban found dead passenger seat truck cab stabbed shot head smallcaliber firearm investigator initially believed urban might still alive truck reached breitscheidplatz might stabbed tried stop attack early medium report speculated grabbed steering wheel forcing truck veer left crash stop shot scene crash true act might saved many life however later medium report indicated truck brought stop automatic braking system urban stabbed shot hour attack weapon found scene christmas market reopened december damaged stall removed memorial set stead concrete barrier placed along side facing street twelve people died least fortyeight injured throughout attack many injured sustained serious injury broken bone either hit truck collapse wooden stall damaged truck five year attack first responder attack died due injury sustained responding victim believed wounded beam sustaining serious head injury police public prosecutor investigated incident terrorist attack chancellor germany angela merkel said must assume terrorist attack german minister interior thomas de maizière described incident brutal attack u department state previously warned terrorist attack christmas market europe isil took control raqqa mosul isil claimed responsibility attack shortly release pakistani suspect mistakenly detained evening december police arrested suspect believed driven truck attack near berlin victory column aroused suspicion running away scene attack fear would considered suspect arrested man initially identified naved b later said naved baloch british newspaper guardian denied involvement later identified yearold asylum seeker turbat pakistan berlin sek police tactical unit stormed hangar former berlin tempelhof airport used refugee camp arrested man lived six others room mobile phone seized analyzed police source later suggested might arrested wrong man individual custody carry gunshot residue mark would indicate fight furthermore forensic test indicate suspect inside cab truck police therefore believed attacker might still large german public prosecutor general peter frank said get used idea man apprehended may perpetrator belong group perpetrator man released evening december due lack evidence interview guardian december narrated incident arrest december according leaving friend house crossing road central berlin evening attack car started following walked faster realised police car stopped asked showed identification document allowed go called back second later arrested claimed tied blindfolded also slapped police refusing undress photograph said interview gone hiding fearing life guardian also said applied asylum germany member secular separatist movement balochistan province pakistan december police announced investigator found truck driver seat suspension deportation permit belonging ani amri man born tataouine tunisia december authority began europewide search amri according investigator amri entered germany italy contact network recently arrested salafist preacher abu walaa known isil recruiter germany amri sought federal criminal police office official called public manhunt issuing recent picture offering reward € warning amri might armed dangerous described cm ft tall weighing approximately kilogram lb dark hair brown eye amri fled tunisia escape imprisonment stealing truck arrived first time europe refugee raft island lampedusa lied age pretending minor sent temporary migrant reception center island center according italian security official amri took part particularly violent riot center set fire several people injured sentenced robbery four year prison served two jail sicily amri released according italian official tunisian authority refused accept repatriation tunisia believed went germany around time per autopsy body found frequently consumed drug tunisia amri sentenced absentia five year prison reportedly aggravated theft violence prior arrested several time possession use drug according family drank alcohol took drug initially religious radicalized italian jail arrived germany july applied asylum april used least different alias posed citizen syria egypt lebanon reportedly tried recruit participant terrorist attack since spring tried buy pistol undercover police officer overheard german intelligence offering carry suicide attack german authority decided arrest deemed mere errand boy german cid warned march planning suicide attack recommended immediate deportation however state government north rhinewestphalia ruled could deported germany involved bar brawl drug dealing later involved knife attack drug july disappeared police tried question three week attack moroccan intelligence warned germany terrorist attack planned started spending time berlin attack closely monitored showed sign planning terrorist attack according report submitted german interior minister state parliament north rhinewestphalia german authority seeking deport time attack legal requirement met tunisia initially denied amri citizen although document confirming arrived germany attack minute attack surveillance camera spotted berlin zoologischer garten railway station close christmas market station turned camera raised finger gesture commonly used islamist later left germany travelling netherlands belgium france reaching italy december around cet amri killed shootout police front railway station sesto san giovanni near milan arrived train chambéry france via turin routine patrol two police officer asked search backpack said identity document amri pulled gun shot one officer shoulder officer shot amri dead italian minister interior marco minniti stated policeman hospitalized shoulder injury day amaq released video amri pledging allegiance abu bakr albaghdadi leader isil german official confirmed amris fingerprint matched found inside truck december german prosecutor said detained yearold tunisian man thought may involved attack amri saved number man phone prosecutor stated next day released investigation revealed suspected contact amri also confirmed attacker sent mobile phone voice message picture contact shortly carrying attack german police raided home two suspected associate january including yearold tunisian man suspected contact amri knowing attack well former flatmate amri tunisian suspect suspected either planning attack knowing detained federal prosecutor stating known amri since end met day attack intense conversation amris former flatmate also investigated attacker tried contact twice december italian police confirmed january gun used attack caliber erma model eps pistol walther ppk clone matched one found amri zdf reported january might acquired gun switzerland lived prolonged period time whose length investigator trying determine swiss prosecutor meanwhile opened case related attack office attorney general switzerland later confirmed spent time country german police investigating whether gun acquired investigator stated january gun imported legally switzerland remained unclear happened afterwards didnt appear weapon register canton switzerland national weapon register time december tunisian authority arrested three men suspected terrorist link including amris nephew stated amri urged nephew join isil sent money travel europe tunisian interior ministry stated also told emir leader german jihadist group called abu alwalaa brigade another person announced arrested january tunisia relation case however four released next day werent found link attack terrorist group italy interior ministry announced march deported yearold tunisian man whose telephone number amris contact list ministry stated contact attacker number also linked facebook profile supporting jihadist ideology connected supporter isil added living latina associated fellow extremist opposed moderate imam local mosque latemarch turkey arrested six men allegedly linked amri six individual including friend amris arrested april planning knife attack sport event berlin main suspect police surveillance released evidence found planning terror attack may interior ministry berlin stated already november intelligence given ani amri involved criminal offense concerning drug trafficking basis authority would able apprehend amri already time investigation launched find extent information withheld state criminal police office berlin attack happened several day later investigation obstruction justice still going speaker interior ministry said manipulation file amri carried officer criminal investigation department attack may commission inquiry initiated starting july meanwhile special prosecutor appointed case addition ongoing investigation concerning manipulation file withholding information national tv reported june officer ordered investigating judge berlin observe amri october criminal offense possible terrorist link instead included untrue record regarding observing action file many world leader offered condolence germany victim attack national international rightwing politician commentator blamed attack partly german chancellor angela merkel policy accepting unlimited number asylum seeker migrant euroskeptic politician also condemned lack border check schengen system allowing perpetrator travel freely several country attack contrast several national international political commentator praised described coolheaded reaction merkel administration editorial board new york time wrote dangerous blame german refugee policy without waiting fact identity attacker emerge petition award urban bundesverdienstkreuz gathered signature afternoon december donation page support family set gofundme collected £ december british truck driver dave duncan officially thanked polish ambassador united kingdom arkady rzegocki ceremony embassy poland london january polish authority provided fund delivery urban family well cost funeral family urban received state pension german authority refused reimburse value destroyed truck belonged company run urbans cousin muslim christian berlin held vigil solidarity victim attack funeral urban held december polish village banie attended hundred people including president poland andrzej duda german government reformed security rule response attack among proposal antiterror plan easing deportation rejected asylum seeker increasing surveillance deported considered terror risk limiting movement asylum seeker within germany using electronic tag deemed terror threat without trial lengthening period suspect held custody limiting development aid country dont cooperate deportation process president tunisia beji caid essebsi meanwhile stated europe must calm vowing take responsibility attack insisted necessary verify citizenship accepting deportation bundestag passed new surveillance law march response attack well attack occurred germany law give priority public safety deciding whether permit installation video surveillance location make easier private company install system public place also voted allowing federal police install surveillance system reading registering licence plate number february german salafist mosque organisation berliner fussiletmoscheeverein banned authority amri said among visitor march german muslim community organisation deutschsprachige islamkreis hildesheim also banned investigator found member preparing travel conflict zone syria fight islamic state according federal agency civic education example show salafist mosque concern religious matter also prepare serious crime terrorist activity preparation christmas market breitscheidplatz square surrounding fortified terrorist attack fourth anniversary december ceremony attended survivor relative victim held breitscheidplatz commemorate killed attack archbishop berlin heiner koch said prayer berlin december – polish lorry driver łukasz urban vehicle hijacked heart berlin shortly local time – hijacked truck veers traditional christmas market shadow kaiser wilhelm memorial church eleven people killed urban found stabbed shot dead cabin shortly attack yearold pakistani asylumseeker arrested nearby based description witness attempted chase attacker lost sight december – following hour confusion pakistani suspect released police evidence could found would link man attack police state believe actual attacker still large possibly armed dangerous december – ani amri tunisian man connection isil whose asylum request germany rejected announced new chief suspect document reportedly found wreckage hijacked lorry said using six different name three different nationality later day reward € £ offered german authority information leading amris arrest country security placed fresh scrutiny following revelation covert surveillance yearold amri discontinued six month due police finding nothing substantiate initial tipoff – december – amri likely travelled nijmegen netherlands thought took bus lyonpartdieu train station france took train lyon via chambéry france milan italy via italian city turin december – amris brother abdelkader urge amri turn adding family dissociate spokeswoman germany federal prosecutor office announces fingerprint amri discovered outside truck driver door vertical support beam window area december – – amri arrives central station milan italy via turin – italian police routine patrol sesto san giovanni spot suspicious male walking city center approached officer asked provide identification document man draw firearm backpack begin shooting ensuing shootout one police officer injured suspect later identified amri killed – italian interior minister marco minniti hold morning press conference announce doubt italian police shot killed berlin terrorism suspect amaq release video amri pledging allegiance isil day december – prosecutor confirm attacker sent voice message picture contact attack january – yearold tunisian man knew amri since late met day attack detained german police state investigating well amris former flatmate italian police confirm gun used attack match one amri march – italian interior ministry announces deported yearold tunisian man linked amri september – italian authority deported tunisian imam sentenced jail armed robbery drug trafficking spread radical propaganda prison celebrated action amri prison located rebibbia moved prison detention centre put plane cairo list islamist terrorist attack list massacre germany list terrorist incident december terrorism europe terrorism france terrorism germany münster attack trier attack berlin car attack