said: 'We have wrong man. Perpetrator is armed, at large and can cause further damage'


ISIS tonight claimed responsibility for the Berlin Christmas market massacre as German police continued to hunt for the killer amid warnings a second terror attack in the city could be imminent.

The terror group hailed the lorry driver - who murdered 12 people and injured at least 48 others - a 'soldier' and praised him for 'targeting nationals of the coalition countries'.

Tonight German police faced difficult questions about their investigation after they released the only suspect they had in custody, saying there was not enough evidence to tie him to the rampage.

Naved B, a 23-year-old Pakistani asylum seeker, had been detained in the immediate aftermath of last night's carnage following a tip-off from witnesses. But Naved B, who had no blood on his clothes and no injuries, denied having anything to do with bloodbath. It means the killer lorry driver remains on the loose and armed with a gun.

Berlin prosecutor Holger Münch has warned of a 'serious threat' of another 'significant' terror attack and Berliners were urged to stay indoors.

Meanwhile Interior minister for a German state, Klaus Bouillon, said that Germany is 'in a state of war' after the massacre on Breitscheidplatz Square last night - the seventh in the country this year.

A security services source, a senior police officer, told die Welt newspaper: 'We have the wrong man. The true perpetrator is still armed, at large and can cause further damage.'

Will the lorry killer strike again? Police and the security services are hunting for the Christmas market killer and admit a second terror attack could be imminent

First picture: The masked 23-year-old named as Naved B, who entered the country under a false name on New Year's Eve 2015, is shown here being bundled into a police van after his arrest with his head covered. He has since been released

Terror attack chain of events: The polish lorry was hijacked when it arrived in Berlin and hours later was driven through Christmas market crowds. The main suspect was pursued on foot and arrested - but it appears he is the wrong man. Police also raided the hangar he lives in with other asylum seekers at the Tempelhof airport

Carnage: The lorry used to kill a dozen people in Berlin last night was towed away from the scene as a 23-year-old asylum seeker was being interrogated

Close up: The shattered glass on the windshield of a truck the morning after it ploughed through the Christmas market

Brutal: White powder used to soak up blood left by the dead - one witness described a 'rivers of blood' running through the market

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) lays white roses at the blood-stained scene in Berlin amid fears a gunman may still be on the loose

Solemn: Angela Merkel closed her eyes as she attended a service at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Tuesday night

Grief: Two women view the carnage at the Christmas market scene and sob as police warn a new attack could be imminent

Vigil: A sea of candles and flowers cover the pavement close to where the terror attack took place 24 hours ago

United: The historic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is tonight illuminated in the colours of the German flag in tribute to the dead

Hunt for clues: With police admitting they are struggling to find the terror suspect behind the attacks, they have found the spot where they think the lorry was hijacked, believed to be next to a branch of the Thyssenkrupp company in Berlin - around two miles from the market

Horror 2016: These are all the terror attacks carried out on German soil in the past year, claiming the lives of 22 people

Tonight federal prosecutors said brave witnesses who had tried to follow the truck driver in the aftermath of the tragedy had lost track of the target. Naved B matched the witnesses' descriptions of the truck driver, but investigators have not been able to prove he was in the cab at the time of the attack, prosecutors said tonight.

Germany's top prosecutor Peter Frank also said earlier that they cannot rule out that more than one person may be on the run, adding Naved B 'may not have been the perpetrator or belong to the group of perpetrators'.

Tonight the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the fatal attack.

At 7pm last night a juggernaut laden with steel cargo turned off its lights and ripped through stalls and shoppers at 40mph on Breitscheidplatz Square, outside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the German capital's main shopping area.

Witnesses said victims including children were sent flying like bowling pins and sucked under the wheels leaving 'rivers of blood' as the killer driver steered at them before jumping out of the cab and racing from the scene.

Only six of the nine dead have been identified but Italian Fabrizia Lorenzo, 31, transport specialist worker is missing and her mobile phone and travel pass were found in the crash zone.

After another terror attack on German soil this year it was revealed:

12 people are dead and 48 are injured - 16 seriously - after a lorry is driven at 40mph through crowds at the famous Breitscheidplatz Square Christmas market at 7pm last night.

Hours earlier the lorry was hijacked from a Polish driver taking steel to Berlin from Italy. Lukasz Urban, a father of one, was found shot dead in its cab. It is not yet clear when he died.

Witnesses to the massacre saw a masked man flee the lorry. A member of the public chased the Pakistani suspect Naved B, who was arrested in the Tiergarten park. Police have since released the suspect, admitting they have insufficient evidence to tie him to the rampage. Berlin's police chief Klaus Kandt said the 'dangerous criminal' behind a deadly truck rampage may still be on the run while Interior minister for a German state, Klaus Bouillon, said that Germany is 'in a state of war' after the massacre on Breitscheidplatz Square last night - the seventh in the country this year.

Police commando squad raid a hangar at Berlin's Tempelhof airport, which was closed and used as a camp for refugees including Naved B, who is believed to have entered Germany a year ago under a false name. Four men are questioned and a laptop and mobile phone seized

Angela Merkel lays white roses at the scene of the massacre and says 'we have to assume we are dealing with a terrorist attack'. Amid fears an asylum seeker is the perpertrator she says: ' It would be particularly hard to bear for all of us if it was confirmed that a person committed this crime who asked for protection and asylum in Germany'

The White House says President Barack Obama has spoken by phone with Chancellor Merkel. Vladimir Putin has also offered his condolences

ISIS supporters used an encrypted messaging service to call for more attacks just half an hour after the Berlin Christmas market atrocity, it has emerged.

Remembrance: Lit by candlelight, Mrs Merkel signs a book of condolences at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church tonight

Emotional: The Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, centre, bows his head as he attends the service alongside German politicians

Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck led politicians at the service at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

German chancellor Angela Merkel, left and Berlin's mayor Michael Mueller, share a quiet word at the service in Berlin tonight

Residents gathered at the Brandenburg Gate tonight, which was lit in the colours of the German flag in tribute to the dead

A woman formed a cross with candles on the pavement near to where the lorry ploughed into the Christmas market, killing 12

The site of the terror attack in the centre of Berlin was tonight transformed into a shrine to those who lost their lives

Just 24 hours after the attack, Berliners remain defiant and enjoy the festivities at another Christmas market in the city

Candles are lit inside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, as the city comes to term with the loss of last night

Residents of Zurich, Switzerland, show their solidarity with the residents of Berlin by lighting candles at a Christmas market

EYEWITNESSES REVEAL THEIR TERROR FACING DEATH Narrow escape: Tourist John Thompson and his daughter Annabelle, 11, at the market on Monday night A British family caught up in the terror attack have told how they narrowly escaped being hit by the truck. John Thompson and his 11-year-old daughter had posed for a picture at the Christmas market just minutes before it was devastated by the hijacked lorry. Last night the 59-year-old businessman revealed how he, his wife Nicola, 48, and their daughter Annabelle were among scores of Britons who witnessed the mass murder – and had to run for their lives. The family, from Lepton in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, were on a three-day break in the German capital when they decided to visit the market. Mr Thompson said they survived only because they stopped for something to eat. ‘We were very, very close,’ he said. ‘We were contemplating having food elsewhere and were walking towards that end of the market when Nicola saw a BBQ stall … and we decided to stop for some food. ‘All of a sudden there was this almighty commotion and this truck was hurtling towards us. I saw the front end of it. We didn’t hang around and just ran for our lives. ‘My daughter thought it was fireworks but everyone else was running away from the scene and we just followed them to the church steps at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church … Annabelle was the most shaken up by it. She thought it was fireworks. But today is another day and we have to carry on.’ His wife added: ‘You never think something like this can happen to you, you can’t believe it, but it did. I just said to John, “let’s stop and have some food” … then there was this lorry rumbling through all the stalls. There was lots of shouting and people running. It was very frightening. It’s terrible what has happened to those poor people.’ Another British tourist, Sara Dobler, recalled how she held a man’s hand as he lay on the floor with severe head injuries. She described the scene as ‘like something from a horror film’. The 26-year-old, from South Wales, said she did not know what happened to the man, but said the experience had ‘traumatised’ her. Traumatised: Sara Dobler and her partner Rhys Meredith said they were 'traumatised' by what they had witnessed at the market ‘He was on the floor … he was lying there, he was trying to get up but his head injury was quite severe. So I just held his hand and told him everything was going to be OK,’ she told BBC Radio 5 Live. ‘Obviously there were people lying on the floor. We weren’t sure if it was red wine or blood.’ Her boyfriend Rhys Meredith, 27, from Cardiff, had just bought food at the Breitscheidplatz market with her when the lorry smashed into the stalls, missing the couple by about 10ft. ‘There was clearly no attempt to try and slow down – we’ve seen stalls obliterated into nothing,’ Mr Meredith said. He described the ‘absolutely horrific’ scene as he tried to push stalls off people who were trapped underneath. ‘It’s just amazing how a peaceful, festive, happy atmosphere just changed instantly and you’ve just got this scene of utter devastation,’ he told BBC News. US student Luke Theis saw ‘two rivers of blood’ following the attack. He and his girlfriend Lara Colombo, 22, were on their way to the market when they heard sirens and saw people running frantically away. Massacre: Australian tourist Trisha O'Neill, pictured, told of seeing 'blood and bodies everywhere' after he mounted a curb and deliberately drove into crowds of people ‘It was carnage everywhere,’ he said. ‘There was blood all over the floor … Nobody was really helping anybody. People were running. It was like every man for themselves. It was dusty and chaotic … two rivers of blood going down the floor.’ Mr Theis, from Washington, added: ‘It’s unsettling to think that you are so close to dying. One minute you are alive and enjoying the Christmas market and then you are dead and your family has to spend Christmas without you.’ Another witness, Jan Hollitzer, 36, said he heard screams as the truck crashed through, but that the market was silent in the aftermath. Mr Hollitzer, deputy editor of local news outlet Berliner Morgenpost, said: ‘First, I heard a noise, then he destroyed the booths on the market and we heard some screams, and then the truck came out of the market on the left side.’ He said he saw destroyed stalls, broken glass and tables, and injured people lying on the ground, adding: ‘There were some people under the truck and it was really scary, really terrifying.’ Australian student Trisha O’Neill said she saw ‘blood and bodies everywhere’. ‘All of a sudden there was a big boom and the people in front of me jumped on top of me,’ she told ABC. ‘I just saw this huge black truck speeding through the markets crushing so many people and then all the lights went out and everything was destroyed. I could hear screaming and we all froze. Then suddenly people started to move and lift all the wreckage off people, trying to help whoever was there.’ Miss O’Neill, who was celebrating her final classes in Germany before heading home, said she saw several people, from children to the elderly, lying on the floor motionless. Mike Fox, from Birmingham, and his partner were just a ‘few metres’ from the lorry as it smashed its way through the market. ‘My girlfriend saw a child under the truck,’ he said. ‘I saw about 15 or 20 people injured, some were moving and some weren’t. Others had blood on them. I saw one guy being dragged away with blood on his face.’ Vivian Hilse, 15, a school pupil from Berlin, was at the market with her friend. She said: ‘We tried to run away but my best friend fell over and broke his leg … I was really afraid. We got in the ambulance. ‘It was only when we were in the hospital that we knew what had happened. It is awful, you don’t feel safe in your own city.’ Lana Sefovac, a Bosnian who lives in Berlin, was at the entrance of the market at the time of the attack. Slaughter: American tourist Luke Theis, pictured with his girlfriend Lara Colombo, saw 'two rivers of blood going down the floor' after the attacker mounted a curb and deliberately drove into crowds of people She told N1 Television in Bosnia: 'We were at a stall because we wanted to buy some food. We were lucky we were hungry because if we had been on the promenade we would have been victims. 'I was standing in front of the stall, my father was in front of me, my mum was behind. I heard a very, very noisy sound and when I turned towards it, the first thing I saw was wood flying all around because he literally smashed the first wooden booth by driving very fast. 'He was driving directly toward us, directly into us, but then he made a turn because he did not want to drive into (our) booth but where people were. He wanted to run people over.' Belgian woman Carima Douch, who was working at the Zaventem airport in Brussels when the suicide bombings happened in March, told of yet another lucky escape. She told Dutch daily De Telegraaf daily after witnessing the Berlin attack: 'It's very difficult. You feel totally powerless. And I am speechless. Everything comes back again. It is unbelievable that it is happening all over again.' Her friend, Carima Akel-Freie, a personal assistant from Leuven, said: 'We thought it would be fun to go to the Christmas market. We were going to stay there, but a group wanted to leave to go and get a drink. 'I'm really happy that we decided to go with them. It probably saved our lives. Five minutes later the attack happened.' Dutch photographer Roos Koman was visiting the market with her boyfriend Stefan, having made the trip specially to Berlin to see it. Just half an hour before the truck hit, they were enjoying the Christmas market and had gone back to their hotel just 50 metres away. Another British tourist Emma Rushton remembered the lorry ploughing into a Christmas market in Berlin at '40mph'. Ms Rushton, from Rugby, Warwickshire, was out in the city for the first time when the vehicle sped through the crowd. The Scout Association worker saw the truck tearing through the market, bringing down lights and crashing into shoppers, before coming to a halt outside Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church. She told Sky News : 'We were about eight feet away from where it happened and we saw it all happen and I'm really thankful that we had not left the Christmas market two minutes earlier. 'I'm running on adrenaline at the moment so everything is coming out quite fast. The front of the lorry which crashed through the Berlin Christmas market on Monday night 'We arrived at the market around lunch time today. We had never been to Berlin before and it was our first holiday there. 'We decided to wander down to the Christmas market and partake in some of the mulled win that was being served as well as looking for some offers. 'We were sat and were drinking and luckily I broke my leg a few years ago, which means I have to sit down for a lot longer than most people would normally have to. 'When one of my friends said, 'let's go', I replied with 'give me two minutes' and that was when we heard a very loud bang and saw the Christmas lights to our left being pulled down.' Advertisement

A German-speaking fanatic reportedly urged members of the terror group to carry out a repeat of the mass killing using tactics 'the enemy can never stop'.

German newspaper Bild reported that an ISIS follower had used Telegram to tell fellow extremists: 'You need nothing more than a car... and then a proper intention and a Kuffar crowd.'

Police said a 'hero' witness in the Christmas market gave chase on foot while giving officers second-by-second updates on his phone, but now they believe Naved B is the wrong man.

The lorry's original Polish driver, Lukasz Urban, a father of one, was transporting steel beams into Germany, but was found shot in the cab after the crash. The gun has not been found.

The terror attack could be a political disaster for Angela Merkel, who will seek a historic fourth term as German Chancellor next year. The German leader, who left white roses as the scene this afternoon, has staked much of her political capital in opening up Germany's doors to refugees and in doing so divided a reunited land.

Overhead: This is a clear view of the path the lorry took through the now-destroyed Christmas market in central Berlin

Tragedy: Inside the cab was the Polish driver who the lorry was hijacked from - he may have been murdered before the crash

Horrific: The smashed front of the lorry used to kill people enjoying the run-up to Christmas. A wreath from one of the stalls was longed in its destroyed windscreen

Trail of destruction: This is the path taken by the killer truck driver - and shows how it mounted a narrow strip of pavement around 80metres in length with the aim of killing as many people as possible. The white powder is believed to show where the bodies fell

Victim: A body dragged under the lorry's wheels lies covered with a gold blanket this morning at the rear of the stolen lorry

Aftermath: New photographs have emerged from the scene showing how the road around the lorry was strewn with bodies, including a body by the cab

A suspect stares out as he is taken into custody by police close to the scene of the terror attack last night. It is not clear what he was arrested for

Grief: Hundreds of Berliners have visited the scene of the horror crash to leave tributes to those who lost their lives

Tributes: Flowers, candles and messages are being left at the scene of the atrocity today as German comes to terms with the terror attack

Prayers: A woman prays next to a cross of lit candles at the Christmas market in Berlin close to the message 'the light is stronger than the darkness'

The Pakistani asylum seeker arrested after the Berlin Christmas market massacre was allegedly held for a sex attack in July and was already on the Interpol crime database, it was revealed today.

ANGELA MERKEL 'SHOCKED, SHAKEN AND SADDENED' German chancellor Angela Merkel has said she was 'shocked and very saddened' by the Berlin Christmas market attack which left 12 dead and almost 50 injured, describing it as a 'terrible' deed. Speaking at a press conference Mrs Merkel said the government 'assumed' it had been a terror attack, adding that: 'We will find the strength to continue living life as we want to live it in Germany - in freedom, openness and together.' She said: 'It is a terrible deed which one cannot understand. It took their lives; many people are injured, are fighting for their lives and fighting for their health, and in these hours I first and foremost think of these people - the dead, the injured, their families, their friends, their relatives. 'I would like you to know that we - all of us, the whole of the country - are with you in deep sadness.' A man thought to be the driver of the lorry that smashed through the Christmas market has been arrested and security sources believe he is a 23-year-old Pakistani asylum seeker who arrived in Germany in February, German media reported. He is believed to have lived at a refugee accommodation centre in a hangar at Berlin's old Tempelhof airport, which special forces police stormed overnight. Mrs Merkel said: 'We don't have anything for certain, but we must assume it was a terrorist attack. 'It would be very difficult for us to learn that a human being committed this deed who came to Germany to ask for refuge and asylum. 'It would be terrible for all of the Germans who are very active day by day in helping asylum seekers and refugees. It would be repugnant for those that are helping people that have come to this country and are asking for our help.' She added: 'Millions of people, including myself, are asking ourselves, how can you live with the fact that, while celebrating the festive season where we want to celebrate life, somebody has come along and taken so many lives. I only know that we do not want to, and we cannot live with it. 'We do not want to allow ourselves to be paralysed by terror. It might be difficult in these hours, but we will find a strength to continue living life as we want to live it in Germany, in freedom and openness and together.' Advertisement

Arrested suspect Naved B, is believed to have entered the country under a false name on New Year's Eve 2015.

Earlier today Germany's Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière confirmed that Naved was the number one suspect but not on Germany's terror list but was on the Interpol list of criminals.

He was also allegedly arrested in Berlin for a sex attack in July and other petty crimes.

The minister also revealed that the suspect had failed to attend his first asylum hearing and then appeared at a second but claimed he spoke no German and required an interpreter so it was adjourned.

Sixteen of the most wounded victims are in intensive care at Berlin's Charite University Clinic - eight are in a critical condition.

German officials have said the Pakistani national entered Germany via the Balkans on December 31 and February he went to the authorities in Berlin to claim asylum.

He is living in a refugee camp at Berlin's Tempelhof airport, which was raided by an elite group of armed anti-terror police at 4am this morning. Four men were questioned but there were no arrests.

In a further hammer blow, security sources have suggested that police in Berlin were warned that an attack on a Christmas market could be imminent. ISIS has praised the Berlin attack and urged jihadis to carry out more in Europe.

Police said they believed that Naved B was only recently radicalised in Germany and may have been ordered by an Isis handler in the middle east to carry out the attack.

Returning Jihadist fighters to Germany have told intelligence operatives that Isis regards the country as a prime target for terror and has been striving all this year for a 'spectacular' outrage to match those carried out in France.

Officials currently classify around 500 Islamists in Germany as high risk and 250 of them are monitored around the clock. But lone wolves like Naved B are hard to spot and, when not part of an organised network leaving electronic footprints, almost impossible to apprehend before the event.

At 11am Chancellor Merkel spoke about the carnage, saying: 'An entire country is united with the victims and their survivors in deep mourning. We all hope and many of us pray for them. That they can find comfort and support. That they can survive after this terrible attack.

'I know that it ís particularly hard to bear for all of us, that a person has committed this act who0 has asked for protection and asylum in Germany.

'Millions of people have been asking: How can we live with it that at a Christmas market - a place of joy – a killer brings death to so many people? I have no simple answer to this question.

'This Act will be punished as severely as our laws allow. We have to assume, according to the latest news, that this was a terrorist attack.'

She would later go to the scene of the massacre with other ministers to lay flowers and inspect the carnage.

Armed police in Britain have been patrolling markets in major cities and surrounding them with a ring of steel crash barriers to prevent a vehicle being used as a weapon. Scotland Yard has said it is reviewing security at public events after the attacks in Berlin and Ankara last night.

Police had thanked a member of the public for helping to capture Naved B, 23, thanks to an eagle-eyed witnesses who followed him.

'Perhaps he wanted to seek shelter in the dark', said police spokesman Winfrid Wenzel, adding that the police were kept informed of his movements by the man tailing him from a 'safe distance.'

During the pursuit he stayed on the line permanently to emergency services, updating them every few seconds where the killer was heading. He was captured near the Victory Column - close to the city's zoo - by officers in a passing patrol car.

Police spokesman Wenzel added: 'With the help of this witness it was possible to capture the suspect. 'This kind of civic courage gives us courage too .'

It appears, however, that the police were hasty and the citizen tracked the wrong man.

Lukasz Urban (pictured), a 37-year-old father-of-one, was killed in the carnage that saw a 25-tonne truck career through Berlin's Breitscheidplatz Square, which killed 12 and injured dozens more

The boss, Ariel Zielinski, who is also the driver's cousin, said they last spoke at midday but the man's wife had been unable to reach him at 4pm - hours before the incident. Mr Zielinski is pictured above with wife Judyta Zurawska

Fabrizia Lorenzo, pictured, 30, is a transport specialist working in Berlin but her cousin said they had not heard from her since last night

The Polish lorry driver whose truck was used in the Christmas market massacre was shot with a small-calibre pistol, according to the interior minister of the state of Brandenburg Karl-Heinz Schröter.

Heavily blood stained clothes found in the truck and the arrested suspect was in clean clothes, suggesting her may have got changed inside the lorry.

As German police, the White House and Germany's top security official indicated the incident was likely terror related, there was a chilling echo of the deadly terror attack in the French city of Nice in July. It also came just one hour after the Russian ambassador was shot dead in Ankara.

The harrowing incident also comes amid repeated warnings from various security agencies that ISIS planned to wreak havoc on European countries during the festive season, specifically threatening Christmas markets.

The usually merry streets became scenes of chaos, with people being pulled from under the flattened wooden stalls and others ferried off in ambulances, some tragically under white sheets.

The Die Welt newspaper said that German intelligence had been warning city authorities for the past week of a possible attack on a Christmas market.

Germany's justice minister says federal prosecutors, who handle terrorism cases, had taken over the investigation.

Police used Twitter to urge locals to stay in their homes, to 'check suspicious objects' and encouraged people to use a Facebook safety check loved ones were safe.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is 'mourning the dead', while The White House said: 'The United States condemns in the strongest terms what appears to have been a terrorist attack on a Christmas Market in Berlin, Germany, which has killed and wounded dozens.'

Teams were working on the lorry all morning before it was taken away to a secure unit to be combed over for clues

Murderous: The terror suspect is believed to have shot dead the Polish driver of the truck before using it as a weapon hours later

Distressing: The area around the lorry was strewn with wreaths, garlands and even baubles torn from market stalls

Investigation: The lorry was given a police escort today as it was taken away for forensic examination

Damage: The truck was followed by its container, which housed steel being taken into Germany by a Polish driver

Cold-blooded: The terror attack has shocked the world - and these photos show how the emergency services fought to save the injured

Horror: MailOnline has muzzed the body of one victim - the man was left lying under one of the wheels in the terror attack

Death toll: The 80metre stretch of Berlin pavement was stained with blood left when the lorry driver steered into the crowds

Evidence: The lorries tracker system says that it was started and stopped repeatedly after the hijacking, suggesting the driver was learning how to move it

Death toll: There are 12 dead - but 14 are critically or seriously injured in intensive care units across the country

The Polish owner of the lorry confirmed his driver was missing.

Speaking on Polish news channel TVN24, the owner of the haulage firm Ariel Zurawski said his relative would not have committed an act of terror: 'I can say hand on heart that the man who drove into those people in the centre of Berlin was not my driver.

'This is my cousin. I've known him since I was born. I can vouch for him.

'My scenario is that they did something to the driver – they hijacked this vehicle because it was practically in the centre of Berlin and they had a good vehicle with which they could do what they did'.

Alarm bells started ringing for the Polish haulage company when the lorry's GPS showed the vehicle was being driven like a 'beginner'.

The readings appear to suggest the lorry was hijacked between 3pm and 4pm, according to Luke Wasik, from the transport firm.

At 3.19pm and 3.44pm failed attempts to start the engine were recorded.

The lorry was then driven in short distances towards the Christmas market before 5pm and then again, just after 5.30pm.

During these short journeys the GPS showed that the engine appeared to be 'choking' - so the company tried to contact the driver to find out what was happening. However, no-one answered the calls.

Mr Wasik told Polish website WP Money: 'It looks as if someone was trying to learn how to drive this. He had problems with its operation.'

The lorry was driven towards the square at 7.34pm.The final GPS reading was at 8pm, when the vehicle turned off its headlights and ploughed through the market, forcefully.

Zurawski said Urban arrived with a delivery of steel at a branch of the Thyssenkrupp company in Berlin on Monday at 7 am. but was told to wait with his delivery until 8 am the following day.

BERLIN TERROR ATTACK: A 23-year-old asylum seeker from Pakistan who arrived in Germany months ago is in custody today after using a hijacked lorry to plough through this Berlin Christmas market killing 12 and injuring 48 others

The vehicle left a trail of devastation in its wake, in a chilling echo of the deadly terror attack in the French city of Nice in July - and comes just one hour after the Russian ambassador was shot dead in Ankara

The death toll, which has risen from nine, was confirmed by Berlin Police on Twitter. The force said 48 people who were injured - some of them seriously - have been taken to hospital

At least 12 people have been killed and around 48 injured after a lorry ploughed through a crowd of shoppers at a busy Christmas market in Berlin

There were harrowing scenes on Monday evening in Berlin, after several people lost their lives just days before Christmas

The vehicle mounted the pavement before tearing through stalls and shoppers in the market on Breitscheidplatz Square, outside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the German capital's main shopping area

A British man and his partner were 'just a few metres' from being hit by the lorry. He described the horrific scenes afterwards, in which the couple saw a child lying under the truck.

He told Ruptly TV: 'The truck just came in. It did not appear to be stopping. It just missed us by a few metres. I looked to Sam to see if she was okay and then almost immediately the truck had gone past us. We tried to see who was injured.

'There were two people who seemed to be okay - one was bleeding a little. I helped some people lift the side of one of the stalls so that somebody could be dragged from underneath and clear some of the wood out of the way.

'There were children in the market. I didn't see, but my girlfriend saw a child under the truck afterwards. I saw about 15 or 20 people injured - some were moving and some were not moving. Others had bad blood on them.'

British tourist Mike Fox, from Birmingham, said the large truck missed him by about three meters as it drove into the market, tearing through tables and wooden stands.

'It was definitely deliberate,' he said.

Mr Fox said he helped people who appeared to have broken limbs, and said others were trapped under Christmas stands, adding: 'We were in the market, outside the cathedral and we had just had mulled wine then as we were leaving the large truck came through.

TOURISTS WARNED OF TERROR ATTACKS AT CHRISTMAS MARKETS Just weeks ago, US tourists were warned to be on high alert if visiting traditional markets in Europe due to a heightened terror threat. The US State Department issued the advice for citizens travelling to the continent during the holiday season. The warning came after it was revealed ISIS encouraged lone jihadis to use trucks as weapons to target large-scale events. Advertisement

'It went just past me, past my girlfriend. I think it missed me by three metres, missed her by five. It came in through the entrance, hit the sides of the barriers and then carried on past us.

'You do what you can to help who you can, really. It happened so fast that there was nothing we could do to stop it - if we'd tried to stop it we would have been crushed.'

Emma Rushton from Rugby in Warwickshire, saw the lorry rush past her at speed and said it could not have been an accident.

She told Sky News she only missed being caught in the chaos because she had climbed up some steps to take a seat, adding: 'The stall that we bought our mulled wine from was completely crushed. People were tearing off wooden panels to get out.

'It was not an accident. It was going 40mph, it was in the middle of the market. There was no way that it could have come off the road and it showed no signs of slowing down.'

'I heard a big noise and then I moved on the Christmas market and saw much chaos...many injured people,' Jan Hollitzer, deputy editor in chief of Berliner Morgenpost, told CNN. 'It was really traumatic.'

Richard Clarkson, from Brighton, told the Irish Independent he was at the nearby Irish Bar with friends when the incident happened.

As news of the incident spread globally, White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the United States condemned it as an apparent terror attack

Bystanders said the crash 'could not have been an accident' as the articulated lorry sped past them and into the crowd

Police detectives climbed over the debris to search the truck, as investigators worked through the night to establish what had happened

A number of British tourists were among those who witnessed the appalling crash - which happened despite authorities being warned of a possible attack

The Die Welt newspaper said that German intelligence had been warning city authorities for the past week of a possible attack on a Christmas market

Police in Berlin kept members of the public updated, tweeting the truck may have been stolen and was carrying steel beams - making it even more deadly as it careered through the crowd

World leaders have united in the aftermath of the tragedy, with Boris Johnson and Francois Hollande sending their condolences to

Brighton resident Mr Clarkson said: 'I just walked out and I saw the truck, the windscreen was broken, I didn't see any bodies they were very quick to cover them up I think.

MERKEL FACES BACKLASH OVER 'OPEN-DOORS' POLICY Angela Merkel has faced a furious backlash over her open-doors policy on immigration after a refugee launched a deadly lorry attack on a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin. The suspected radical Islamic attacker - a bogus asylum seeker who came to the country in February under a false name - murdered 12 and injured dozens gathered at the market last night. German chancellor Merkel has come under huge political pressure for allowing nearly a million people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa to arrive in the country this year and last. And last night she faced anger from the far-right anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party with prominent member Marcus Pretzell tweeting: 'When will the German state of law strike back? When will this cursed hypocrisy finally stop? These are Merkel's dead! (hash)Nice (hash)Berlin.' The record influx of migrants in the last 12 months has hit Merkel's popularity ratings and boosted support for the AfD with the 62-year-old having recently announced her intention to stand for re-election again next year. The German leader has staked much of her political capital in opening up Germany's doors to refugees and in doing so divided a reunited land. Last night Merkel reacted quickly to the atrocity, with spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeting: 'We mourn the dead and hope that the many people injured can be helped.' Advertisement

'The word terrorist is being thrown around a lot at the moment and people seem scared.'

Katarzyna Goebel - originally from Poland but who now lives in Berlin - was drinking wine at the market when the hijacked truck ploughed into the crowd.

She said: 'I was just a few metres away, drinking wine when I heard a noise and that's when I saw the truck driving into the market.

'Some people screamed but a lot of people were saying it was a coincidence and we should stay calm.

'I was at that exact stall just a few minutes before the truck appeared. It was the most terrifying moment of my life'.

One eye witness said the lorry had no lights on when it smashed into the market.

He said: 'He just drove onto the square from the Kant street. That had to have been intentional, because his lights were not switched on. And then I just heard this loud bang and hysterical screaming.'

Australian Trisha O'Neill told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation she was only metres from where the truck smashed into the crowded market.

'I just saw this huge black truck speeding through the markets crushing so many people and then all the lights went out and everything was destroyed.

'I could hear screaming and then we all froze. Then suddenly people started to move and lift all the wreckage off people, trying to help whoever was there.'

O'Neill said there was 'blood and bodies everywhere'.

In a statement released after the crash, President elect Donald Trump said: 'Our hearts and prayers are with the loved ones of the victims of the horrifying terror attack in Berlin.

'Innocent civilians were murdered in the streets as they prepared to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

'ISIS and other Islamist terrorists continually slaughter Christians in their communities and places of worship as part of their global jihad.

'These terrorists and their regional and worldwide networks must be eradicated from the face of the earth, a mission we will carry out with all freedom-loving partners.

Sabrina Glinz, an American tourist, was locked in her hotel after a number of buildings in the area were placed on lockdown.

Watching the scene unfold from the 15th floor, she told Sky News: 'You just keep seeing people getting loaded into ambulances and it doesn't seem to end. Just the white sheets covering them.'

She added: 'The street that he has to have gone in you have do a u-turn on the street to turn around and instead of doing a u-turn he turned right directly into the market.

'There was absolutely no way he could have accidentally, he went straight into it then veered to the left and is now back onto the main street were the truck is resting.

'He went back to the beginning were it was busiest and then just careered through the buildings'.

An eyewitness said: 'I just saw this huge black truck speeding through the markets crushing so many people and then all the lights went out and everything was destroyed'

The 25-tonne vehicle left a path of devastation as it tore through the usually merry festive market

One eye witness said the lorry had no lights on when it smashed into the market, adding He said: 'He just drove onto the square. That had to have been intentional, because his lights were not switched on'

Carnage: There was absolute carnage in Berlin as the festive market turned into a harrowing and tragic scene

Federal prosecutors, who handle terrorism cases, have taken over the investigation according to justice minister Heiko Maas, who said in a tweet 'we are mourning with the relatives' of the victims

The vehicle mounted the pavement before speeding through a crowd of shoppers, tearing through stalls as it travelled the length of the market

Aerial shots from the scene show the devastating aftermath at the crash scene and debris around the truck

Germany's justice minister says that federal prosecutors, who handle terrorism cases, were taking over the investigation

German intelligence had apparently been warning city authorities for the past week of a possible attack on a Christmas market

There are dozens of ambulances and fire engines at the scene as they work to recover bodies and help those injured

The truck travelled for some 80 feet through the market - crashing through market stalls and innocent bystanders

Ambulances line the streets as rescue workers treat those at the scene and try to save those critically injured

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent condolences to Germany after a truck ploughed into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48, calling the attack 'shocking'.

'This crime against peaceful civilians is shocking in its savage cynicism,' Putin wrote to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck, according to a statement on the Kremlin's website.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted his condolences following the 'terrible tragedy', while the Foreign Office warned Britons travelling to Germany of a high risk from terrorism.

In advice updated after the crash, it said: 'There may be increased security in place over the Christmas and New Year period, including at Christmas markets and other major events that might attract large crowds.

'You should remain vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities.'

It is understood the market is a regular festive treat for shoppers and includes stands that offer seasonal foods such as bratwurst, sweet waffles, candied fruits as well as mulled wine and homemade eggnog.

Facebook has activated a safety check feature for travellers and locals on the social network.

A police cordon remained at the site on Tuesday morning, though parts of the Christmas market had been re-opened.

Commuters walked quietly past the wooden stalls and Christmas trees in the market, many of which were still lit up with white lights. White screens were erected around a large part of the area where the articulated lorry came to a stop.

As emergency services prepared to remove the lorry, tributes began to appear nearby. People laid red candles and flowers, while others wept as they passed the scene.

A glass jar with a white candle inside had a note pinned to it, which read: 'I am Berlin for more humanity and sympathy.'

Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said he was 'deeply stricken and pained' by what he reffered to as an attack in Berlin.

In a statement provided by Italy's foreign ministry, Alfano expressed closeness to Germans 'in this sad moment that instead should be of joy and peace in the approach to the Christmas holidays.'

Alfano said attacks 'won't change our determination to combat terrorism' alongside international partners and in particular Germany, saying the two countries are in strict coordination.

An injured man is pushed to an ambulance at the site of an accident as scores of others are treated at the scene

The vehicle sped through a crowd of shoppers at the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz Square near the Kurfuerstendamm Avenue in west Berlin

Police subsequently said 12 people had been killed and one person has been detained over the incident - which comes less than a week before Christmas

Ambulances and police rushed to the area after the driver drove up the pavement of the market in a central square popular with tourists, in scenes reminiscent of the deadly truck attack in the French city of Nice in July

The heavy goods vehicle can be seen clearly damaged - and the driver was later apprehended at the city zoo

Police stand outside a tent near the Christmas market in Berlin as those injured in the devastating crash are treated

Armed police are standing guard at the entrance to the market and around Berlin as security is tightened

Several people have died while dozens have been injured as police investigate the alleged attack at a market outside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Police, fire crews and paramedics raced to the scene of the incident in Berlin as a rescue effort got underway

The truck ran into the market outside the landmark Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church around 7pm on Monday evening

Police had said the first indications from the investigation suggested the truck crash was a terror attack

The horrific incident has taken place at a site popular among tourists - with many Brits at the scene

Germany has not in recent years suffered a large-scale attack from Islamist militants like those seen in neighbouring Belgium and France.

CHILLING ECHOES OF SLAUGHTER IN NICE The incident evoked memories of an attack in France in July when Tunisian-born Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, 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. The attack was claimed by Islamic State. Advertisement

But it was shaken by two smaller attacks in Bavaria over the summer, one on a train near Wuerzburg and another at a music festival in Ansbach that wounded 20 people.

Both were claimed by Islamic State.

And government officials have said the country, which accepted nearly 900,000 migrants last year, many from the war-torn Middle East, lies in the 'crosshairs of terrorism.'

In mid-October, police arrested a Syrian refugee suspected of planning a bomb attack on an airport in Berlin.

The 22-year-old man committed suicide in prison shortly after his arrest.

Only last week it was revealed that a 12-year-old boy tried to bomb the Christmas market in the town of Ludwigshafen with a nail bomb - twice.

The boy, of Iraqi-German parents, was radicalised only recently and is now in the care of the local youth authorities.

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Polish lorry driver who fought for his life as fanatic shot him dead then hijacked truck in Berlin massacre was returning to his wife to prepare Christmas presents, his distraught family reveals

The Polish lorry driver whose truck was used in the Christmas market massacre was stabbed and shot dead, it was revealed today.

Lukasz Urban, a 37-year-old father-of-one, was killed in the carnage that saw a 25-tonne truck career through Berlin's Breitscheidplatz Square, which killed 12 and injured dozens more.

This afternoon it emerged that he was returning to his wife to prepare Christmas presents when the attack unfolded.

The owner of Polish haulage firm, Ariel Zurawski, said the driver - also his cousin - was hijacked and killed by the man suspected of carrying out the attack.

A picture shows married Mr Urban smiling in the cab of a lorry, in 2008, confirmed by his boss and cousin, while another image emerged, taken from CCTV, shortly before he was hijacked.

Alarm bells started ringing for the Polish haulage company when the lorry's GPS showed the vehicle was being driven like a 'beginner'.

Owner of Polish haulage firm, Ariel Zurawski (left), insisted the driver Lukasz Urban (right) - also his cousin - was hijacked

Lukasz Urban leaves behind a wife, Zuzanna and a 17-year-old son. The 37-year-old driver disappeared after parking his lorry at a depot in Friedrich-Krauze-Ufer and going for a kebab.

Mr Zurawski, said: 'When I spoke to him he was saying it was a strange area of Berlin because it was full of Muslims.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE LORRY WHICH KILLED 12 PEOPLE Lukasz Urban was driving a lorry, carrying steel from Italy to Berlin

He was due to drop off the load in the German capital, before returning to Poland

At 3pm he was contacted by his wife, who said she would call back at 4pm

GPS recordings show irregular activity, suggesting the engine was being choked at 3.44pm

It's believed this is when the lorry was hijacked but when Mr Urban was killed is not known. Due to marks on his body it's understood her put up a fight

Mr Urban's wife called him back but there was no answer

The lorry travelled short distances before arriving at the market at 7.34pm

At 8pm the lorry was driven forecfully and ploughed into a crowd of people, killing 12 and injuring 48

Mr Urban was found dead in the cabin found with stab and gunshot wounds Advertisement

'The only Germans he came into contact with were those at the depot.'

He added that Mr Urban's wife, Zuzanna, was now in Germany.

He said: 'Lukasz's wife did not want to identify the body, she is too upset. A family member identified Lukasz instead.

'She is very distressed, as is their son, and they have had no support from either Germany or Poland. No psychologists, specialists, she is on her own.

'Lukasz's plan was to be home by Thursday and prepare presents for Christmas.

'Police in Gryfinie showed me the terrible photo of Lukasz. His face was all bruised and had been cut with a knife. You could tell he put up a fight.

'But I do not believe that one man could have killed my cousin. He was a powerful six-foot-two and weighed 130kg. It had to do a group of people.'

For his horrified family, Mr Urban's death comes as a double tragedy after it was revealed that his brother Konrad had taken his own life just three years earlier.

Talking to MailOnline outside his house in the village of Sobiemysl near Gryfino in northwest Poland, Mr Zurawski said: 'This is a double tragedy for the family. Two years ago his brother killed himself.

'Now their father has been taken into hospital suffering from shock.

Mr Zurawski had earlier confirmed the drivers death saying: 'Unfortunately the driver is dead. His body was found in the cabin. His last contact was at 3pm when his wife called him.

'However, she couldn't talk because she was at work. She said she would call at 4pm but she was unable to contact him.

'I have not received official confirmation but I had to recognise him and I had to say that he was my driver.

'Stab wounds were clearly seen at the photo which depicted only my cousin's face. It was really clear that he was fighting for his life. His face was swollen and bloodied.

'Police informed me that he suffered a gunshot wound. Despite being stabbed he was shot dead.'

Interior minister Karl-Heinz Schröter confirmed the death as he prepared for a telephone call with the other interior ministers of the 16 states that make up the German republic.

The Scania-made lorry is owned by company Arial Zurawski, which is based in Gryfino in northwest Poland (pictured from the company website)

The lorry was travelling from Italy to Berlin to drop off its load, before returning to Poland.

It had reached the German capital when the hijacking took place.

He said that after reaching his destination in Friedrich-Krauze-Ufe, Mr Urban had parked and gone to get a kebab sandwich, planning to unload his cargo of 24 tonnes of steel parts the next morning.

Around noon, the two cousins spoke. Mr Urban said he was hungry and that there were few Germans in the neighbourhood where he parked, mostly Muslims.

The vehicle's GPS recording showed it did not travel far from when it was hijacked to the moment it crashed.

The readings appear to suggest the lorry was hijacked between 3pm and 4pm, according to Luke Wasik, from the transport firm.

At 3.19pm and 3.44pm failed attempts to start the engine were recorded.

The lorry was then driven in short distances towards the Christmas market before 5pm and then again, just after 5.30pm.

During these short journeys the GPS showed that the engine appeared to be 'choking' - so the company tried to contact the driver to find out what was happening. However, no-one answered the calls.

Mr Wasik told Polish website WP Money: 'It looks as if someone was trying to learn how to drive this. He had problems with its operation.'

The lorry was driven towards the square at 7.34pm. The final GPS reading was at 8pm, when the vehicle turned off its headlights and ploughed through the market, forcefully.

Mr Zurawski described the unusual movements on the truck's GPS that indicate Mr Urban was not in control.

He said: 'The car was started up, turned off, driven forward, then backward. As if somebody inside was learning how to drive.'

Poland's prime minister, Beata Szydlo, said that the Pole was 'the first victim of this heinous act of violence.'

When in control of the hijacker, the vehicle mounted the pavement before speeding through a crowd of shoppers on Breitscheidplatz Square, outside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a busy shopping area in west Berlin.

The usually merry streets became scenes of chaos, with people being pulled form under the flattened wooden stalls and others ferried off in ambulances, some tragically under white sheets.

Italian woman is feared missing in Berlin Christmas market massacre after her phone and metro pass were found at scene where 12 were mowed down by 25-tonne lorry

An Italian woman is feared missing in the Berlin Christmas market attack after her mobile phone and travel pass were discovered in the aftermath of the atrocity that left 12 dead.

Fabrizia Lorenzo, 30, is a transport specialist working in Berlin but her cousin said they had not heard from her since last night and revealed her personal belongings had been found.

At least 12 were killed and another 48 injured when a 25-tonne hijacked truck ploughed through the busy festive market on Breitscheidplatz Square, a busy shopping area in west Berlin.

Six of the dead are believed to be German and three are Hungarian. An Israeli man in his sixties is being treated for his injuries in hospital and his wife is still missing.

Berlin police today admitted the Pakistani refugee they arrested in connection to the attack could be the wrong man and the real attacker may still be on the loose and armed.

Missing: Fabrizia Lorenzo, pictured, 30, is a transport specialist working in Berlin but her cousin said they had not heard from her since last night

Fear: In a heartbreaking plea for help, her cousin tweeted today: 'My cousin (Fabrizia Di Lorenzo) not replying to us since yesterday night'

Atrocity: At least 12 were killed and another 48 injured when a 25-tonne hijacked truck ploughed through the busy festive market on Breitscheidplatz Square

In a heartbreaking plea for help, her cousin tweeted today: 'My cousin (Fabrizia Di Lorenzo) not replying to us since yesterday night. Someone found her phone and metro pass on the site.'

The names of the victims have yet to be released but authorities have suggested Ms Lorenzo, who hails from the Italian town of Sulmona in Abruzzia, could be among them.

Police confirmed a mobile phone found at the crime scene was registered to her.

Meanwhile Italy's ambassador to Germany, Pietro Benassi, said: 'I can confirm we are searching for someone and we fear for her.'

The German foreign ministry is said to be in contact with her mother and brother who are already on their way to the country to submit DNA samples, Italian website Repubblica reported.

Her father, who works at a post office in Sulmona, is flying to Germany from Rome this evening.

Ms Lorenzo's last tweet came on December 5, when she shared a scene from award winning film, The Best Of Youth.

Mystery: Police confirmed a mobile phone found at the crime scene was registered to Ms Lorenzo, who graduated from the University of Bologna in 2012

Attack: The German foreign ministry is said to be in contact with Ms Lorenzo's mother and brother who are already on their way to the country to submit DNA sample, it has been reported. Pictured: Police and photographers surround the truck used in the attack in Berlin

Destruction: Ms Lorenzo's last tweet came on December 5, when she shared a scene from award winning film, The Best Of Youth. Pictured: The lorry used to mow down dozens of people at a Christmas market in Berlin

Her many social media posts suggest she was both liberal and pro-refugee in a country which has been divided over the migrant crisis and the more recent burqa ban.

In March she shared an interview with Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman who argued a spike in immigration is not related to an increase in terrorism.

Another piece shared with her 246 followers pointed to research suggested the majority of Muslims living in countries where

Ms Lorenzo graduated from thee the University of Bologna with a degree in International Relations and Diplomacy in 2012.

She began working in Germany in November 2013, according to her LinkedIn profile, as a customer services coach for electronics company Bosch.

Just over a year later she joined supply chain management company 4Flow, where she worked as a transport specialist.

Among the 48 injured is an elderly Israeli man whose wife has not been seen since the attack, the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said.

He was seriously wounded and had to undergo surgery but his life is not believed to be in danger, the Times of Israel reported.

Attack: German police have said the Pakistani refugee arrested and accused of being the driver may be the wrong man and the real killer could be armed and on the loose

A senior police officer said: 'We have the wrong man... The true perpetrator is still armed, at large and can cause further damage'

A senior police chief has confirmed the Berlin Christmas market killer may still be on the run, and ready to inflict 'further damage', 12 hours after Pakistani asylum seeker Naved B was arrested.

Detectives interrogating the 23-year-old suspect said there was no blood on his clothes, he suffered no injuries and denies hijacking the lorry which tore through a festive market at 40mph.

A senior police officer, told die Welt newspaper: 'We have the wrong man. So we have a new situation. The true perpetrator is still armed, at large and can cause further damage.'

Witnesses said victims including children were sent flying like bowling pins and sucked under the wheels leaving 'rivers of blood' as the killer driver steered at them before jumping out of the cab and racing from the scene.

TIMELINE OF TERROR: ATTACKS IN GERMANY IN 2016 FEBRUARY 27: Policeman stabbed - A 16-year-old German-Moroccan girl stabs a police officer in the neck with a kitchen knife, wounding him badly, an assault allegedly 'ordered' by the IS but which was not claimed by the group. The teenager attacks the policeman during a routine check at Hanover train station in northern Germany, before being overpowered by another officer. JULY 18: Train attack - A 17-year-old asylum seeker, wielding an axe and a knife, attacks passengers on a Bavarian train. The assailant, who is believed to be Afghan, injures five people, four of them tourists from Hong Kong. He is shot dead by police. The IS group releases a video purportedly featuring the attacker announcing he would carry out an 'operation' in Germany, and presenting himself as a 'soldier of the caliphate'. JULY 22: Mall shooting - David Ali Sonboly, 18, shoots dead nine people at a Munich shopping mall before turning the gun on himself, having spent a year planning the rampage. Police say the German-Iranian was 'obsessed' with mass murderers like Norwegian right-wing fanatic Anders Behring Breivik and had no links to the IS group. JULY 24: Suicide blast - A 27-year-old failed Syrian asylum seeker blows himself up near an open-air music festival in the southern city of Ansbach, wounding 15 others. The Bavarian interior minister says the man had 'pledged allegiance' to IS, while the jihadist-linked Amaq news agency says he is a 'soldier' of the group. The asylum seeker, who was due to be deported to Bulgaria, had received treatment at a psychiatric hospital and was reported to have suicidal tendencies. Advertisement