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2016 Berlin truck attack

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2016 Berlin attack
The path of the truck through Breitscheidplatz coming from Budapester Strasse.
LocationBreitscheidplatz, Berlin, Germany
Coordinates52°30′19″N 13°20′04″E / 52.50528°N 13.33444°E / 52.50528; 13.33444
Date19 December 2016
20:14 CET (UTC+01)
Attack type
Vehicular assault
WeaponsScania R 450 semi-trailer truck and small-caliber gun
Deaths12[1]
Injured49[1]
PerpetratorIslamic State Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (claimed responsibility)

On 19 December 2016 at 20:14 CET, a truck ramming attack killed 12 people and injured 49 others[1] in the Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. Police and the Public Prosecutor are treating it as a terrorist incident. The perpetrator is believed to be at large and expected to be armed. A Pakistani asylum seeker was arrested and later released due to the lack of evidence, while the truck's owner was found shot in the passenger seat. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq News Agency.[1][2] However, the group provided no evidence to support its claim it had directed the attack.

Location of the attack is located in Berlin
Location of the attack
Location of the attack
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Attack location at the Breitscheidplatz in Berlin

Attack

Breitscheidplatz after the attack

On 19 December 2016, at 20:14 local time,[3] a man drove a stolen truck through a Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in the City West of Berlin, killing twelve people.[4] The truck drove 50–80 metres (160–260 ft), crossed a sidewalk at Breitscheidplatz and destroyed booths.[5] Local police stated that the vehicle came from the direction of Budapester Strasse before finally coming to rest in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.[6] A Polish man was found dead in the passenger seat of the truck cab,[7] shot with a small-caliber gun.[8][9] The suspected driver was reported to have fled towards the Victory Column.[10]

Police and Public Prosecution are investigating the incident as a terrorist incident.[11] Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel said, "We must assume this was a terrorist attack".[12] The Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière described the incident as a brutal attack.[13] The US State Department had previously warned of terrorist attacks on Christmas markets in Europe after the Islamic State took hold of Raqqa and Mosul.[14][15] The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack shortly after the release of the former suspect.[2]

Vehicle

The truck involved, surrounded by fire fighting vehicles

The vehicle involved, a black Scania R 450 semi-trailer truck,[16] bore Polish number plates and belongs to a Polish delivery company, Usługi Transportowe Ariel Żurawski, based in Sobiemyśl.[17] The truck, which was on its return leg to Poland, having started in Italy,[18] was transporting steel beams to Berlin.[3]

The head of the delivery company reported that his cousin had been driving the truck to Berlin, but that he could not imagine him being responsible for the attack.[18] The company last contacted the driver between 15:00 and 16:00, when the driver reported that he had arrived too late at the destination company in Berlin and that he had to wait there overnight and unload his truck the following morning.[18] The family had been unable to contact the driver since 16:00.[19] The company that owns the truck suspected it had been hijacked based on its GPS coordinates.[18] The company owner has since identified his cousin, the original driver of the semi-trailer, as the man who was found dead in the truck.[8] It is believed that the original driver was killed by the perpetrator.[20]

Investigation

On the evening of 19 December, police arrested an individual who, at the time, was suspected to be the driver of the truck near the scene.[4] The arrested man denied any involvement and was reported to be a 23-year-old Pakistani asylum seeker.[21] Sources within the police later suggested that they might have arrested "the wrong man" because the individual in custody did not carry gunshot residue or any marks which would indicate that he had been in a fight. Consequently, they believed that the attacker might still be at large.[22] German Public Prosecutor General Peter Frank stated: "We have to get used to the idea that the man apprehended may not be the perpetrator or belong to the group of perpetrators."[23] The primary suspect was released on the evening of 20 December due to the lack of evidence.[24][25] German police are preparing for a manhunt for the perpetrator(s).[20]

Victims

Casualties by nationality
Country Deaths Injuries Ref
 Germany 6 Unknown [26]
 Poland 1 0 [27]
 Spain 0 2 [28]
 Italy 0 1 [29]
 Lebanon 0 1 [30]
 Israel 0 1 [31]
Unknown 5 44 [32]
Total 12 49 [33]

See also

Wikinews has related news:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2016 Berlin Christmas market truck attack.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Noch 14 Menschen in Lebensgefahr" [Still 14 People in Danger]. Der Spiegel. Hamburg, Germany.
  2. ^ a b "Nach Anschlag in Berlin: IS reklamiert Attacke auf Weihnachtsmarkt für sich" [After attack in Berlin: IS reclaims attack on Christmas market for itself]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ.net) (in German). Frankfurt, Germany. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Berlin lorry deaths: Police say 'probably terrorist attack'". BBC. 20 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b Eddy, Melissa; Smale, Alison (19 December 2016). "At Least 12 Dead in Berlin After Truck Crashes into Christmas Market". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Martin, Michelle (20 December 2016). "Berlin police assume truck was deliberately driven into Christmas market". Reuters.com. Reuters.
  6. ^ Connolly, Kate; Oltermann, Philip; Rawlinson, Kevin; Lawther, Fran (19 December 2016). "Berlin: suspect held and 12 dead after truck crashes into market". The Guardian.
  7. ^ "Berlin Christmas market attack: What we know so far". The Daily Telegraph. 20 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Liveticker zu Anschlag auf Berliner Weihnachtsmarkt" (in German). NTV. 20 December 2016.
  9. ^ "One of dead at German Christmas market was shot". Reuters. 20 December 2016.
  10. ^ Kirschbaum, Erik (19 December 2016). "U.S. official calls killings in Berlin Christmas market an apparent 'terrorist attack'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Anschlag in Berlin: BKA zeigt sich 'hochalarmiert'" [Attack in Berlin: BKA on 'high alert']. Der Spiegel (in German).
  12. ^ "Merkel on Berlin Xmas Market Tragedy: 'We must assume this was a terrorist attack'". Deutsche Welle. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  13. ^ "Todesfahrt von Berlin: De Maizière: „Kein Zweifel mehr an Anschlag"" [Deadly Drive in Berlin: De Maizière: 'No Doubt Any More About Attack']. Frankfurter Allgemeine (FAZ.net) (in German). 20 December 2016.
  14. ^ Sanchez, Raf (22 November 2016). "US warns of 'heightened' risk of terror attacks on Christmas markets in Europe as Isil loses grip on Mosul and Raqqa". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Europe Travel Alert". travel.state.gov. Bureau of Consular Affairs, US State Department. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  16. ^ LKW rast in Weihnachtsmarkt auf Breitscheidplatz. In: Berliner Zeitung, 19. Dezember 2016
  17. ^ Ogórek, Sebastian (19 December 2016). "Zamach w Berlinie. Ariel Żurawski dla WP: Najważniejsze dla mnie to znaleźć mojego kierowcę". Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  18. ^ a b c d Jamieson, Amber (19 December 2016). "Berlin truck crash: 'suspicious person' arrested after nine killed at Christmas market – live". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  19. ^ "Atak terrorystyczny w Berlinie? Ciężarówka wjechała w tłum na jarmarku". 19 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  20. ^ a b Chazan, Guy; Shotter, James (20 December 2016). "Germany faces manhunt after Berlin Christmas attack". Financial Times. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  21. ^ "Berlin attack: No certainty over man arrested by police". bbc. 20 December 2016.
  22. ^ "Anschlag in Berlin: Polizei zweifelt an Täterschaft des Festgenommenen". Der Spiegel.
  23. ^ Geil, Karin; Finkenwirth, Angelika; Pontius, Jakob; Klormann, Sybille (20 December 2016). "Berlin: Die Berliner Polizei hat wohl den Falschen". Die Zeit.
  24. ^ "Nach Anschlag in Berlin: Vorläufig Festgenommener ist wieder frei" [After the Attack in Berlin...]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ.net) (in German). 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  25. ^ "Berlin market attack suspect released". BBC News. 20 December 2016.
  26. ^ "Live: Police investigate Berlin lorry attack". BBC.com. 19 December 2016.
  27. ^ Morley, Nicole (20 December 2016). "Truck driver named as first victim of Berlin Christmas market terror attack". Metro.co.uk. Associated Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  28. ^ "Un español, herido en el atentado de Berlín" [A Spaniard wounded in the Berlin bombing]. ElConfidential.com (in Spanish).
  29. ^ "Attentato al mercatino di Natale di Berlino. Rilasciato pakistano sospetto, killer ancora in fuga". ANSA.it (in Italian). 19 December 2016.
  30. ^ "Lebanese wounded in Berlin Christmas market attack". mtv.com.lb. mtv Lebanon. Lebanon's Embassy in Germany informed the government that a Lebanese man identified as Mohammad Hassan Wehbeh was wounded in the attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.
  31. ^ Axelrod, Toby (20 December 2016). "Israeli Woman Missing in Berlin Market Terror Attack — Husband Injured". Forward.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  32. ^ "Live: Police investigate Berlin lorry attack". BBC.com. 19 December 2016.
  33. ^ "Berlin attack: So-called Islamic State claims responsibility". BBC.com. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
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