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German police say arrested man may not be Christmas market attacker

20 December 2016 17:45 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Pakistani asylum-seeker arrested on suspicion of killing 12 people by mowing through a Berlin Christmas market in a truck may not be the attacker, and the real perpetrator could still be on the run, German police said on Tuesday, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The truck smashed into wooden huts serving mulled wine and sausages at the foot of the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church, one of west Berlin's most famous landmarks, at about 8 p.m. on Monday. Forty-eight people were injured, 18 severely.

News of the arrest of the 23-year-old Pakistani led politicians in Germany and beyond to demand a crackdown on immigration.

Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters: "There is much we still do not know with sufficient certainty but we must, as things stand now, assume it was a terrorist attack."

She added: "I know it would be especially hard for us all to bear if it were confirmed that the person who committed this act was someone who sought protection and asylum."

In a dramatic twist, police later said the suspect had denied the offence and might not be the right man.

"According to my information it's uncertain whether he was really the driver," Police President Klaus Kandt told a news conference.

Berlin police tweeted that they were "particularly alert" because of the denial. "Please be alert," they added.

Die Welt newspaper quoted an unnamed police chief as saying:"We have the wrong man. And therefore a new situation. The true perpetrator is still armed, at large and can cause fresh damage."

The truck belonged to a Polish freight company and its rightful driver was found dead in the vehicle. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said a pistol believed to have been used to kill him had not yet been found.

German media said the arrested man had jumped out of the driver's cab and run down the street towards the Tiergarten, a vast park in central Berlin. Several witnesses called police, including one who chased the suspect while on the phone, constantly updating officials on his whereabouts.