TUNISIA has become a breeding ground for ISIS fighters, spawning twisted killers behind attacks across Europe including the Berlin and Nice lorry massacres.

Police are hunting a 23-year-old Tunisian refugee, Anis Amri, over Monday’s Christmas market slaughter which claimed 12 lives and left 48 injured.

8 Police are hunting a 23-year-old Tunisian refugee, Anis Amri, over Monday’s Christmas market attack in Berlin

8 12 people died and 48 were injured after a lorry ploughed into crowds in a Christmas market on Monday Credit: Getty Images

Amri is just one of a number of suspected terrorists to have come from the North African country, which has sent more fighters to Syria than any other country.

Around 5,5000 Tunisians have become jihadist fighters in the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

The Charlie Hebdo attack, which claimed the lives of 12 journalists and cartoonists, was masterminded by Tunisian jihadist Boubaker el Hakim.

Tunisian delivery man, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, also slaughtered 86 people when he rammed his truck into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice last July.

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The prime suspect in the Berlin attack is thought to have links to the terror group behind the Tunisia beach massacre which killed 30 Brits.

A Facebook group which appears to belong to Amri shows that the Tunisian ‘liked’ another page supporting ISIS linked group Ansar Al-Sharia.

8 Tunisia has become a breeding ground for ISIS fighters, spawning twisted killers behind attacks across Europe

8 The suspect is thought to have links to the terror group behind the Tunisia beach massacre which killed 30 Brits Credit: PA:Press Association

8 Tunisian student Seifeddine Rezgui killed 38 tourists on a beach resort in Sousse, Tunisia, last year Credit: PA:Press Association

The terror group is believed to have radicalised gunman Tunisian student Seifeddine Rezgui who killed 38 tourists on a beach resort in Sousse last year.

It was also behind another suicide blast at another Tunisian beach resort in Sousse in 2013.

The network has branches in Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Mali.

Its Tunisian branch is believed to be responsible for grooming Rezgui while he was a student studying aviation engineering.

Rezgui is believed to have twice attended an Ansar al-Sharia training camp in Libya before he returned home to slaughter the holidaymakers.

8 Tunisian delivery man, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, slaughtered 86 people when he rammed his truck into a Bastille Day crowd Credit: Enterprise News and Pictures

8 The Nice attack was the worst terrorist atrocity France has ever seen Credit: Getty Images

Before he embarked on a killing spree, Rezgui is thought to have made a ten second mobile phone to his ISIS 'handler' in Syria.

Amri is also believed to have undergone weapons training abroad.

He moved to Germany earlier this year after being granted temporary asylum and was awaiting a permanent decision on his residency.

Amri became a discipline of ISIS recruiter and preacher Abu Walaa who was arrested last year along with four others in his inner circle.

Walaa regularly professed his support for ISIS during sermons at the German-speaking Islamic Circle of Hildesheim mosque in the city of Hildesheim, according to reports.

8 The Charlie Hebdo attack was masterminded by Tunisian jihadist Boubaker el Hakim (pictured) Credit: Xposure

The network is known to have transported at least one man and his family to fight for ISIS in Syria.

Amri was known to German authorities over an assault allegation but is thought to have gone underground before charges were pressed.

He was arrested in August and found to be in possession of a fake Italian passport, after which his phone was monitored until he disappeared earlier this month.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the Berlin attack, which saw a "hijacked" lorry plough through a busy Christmas market.

Through its Amaq news agency, the jihadi group praised the attacker as a "soldier of ISIS".

It said the terrorist carried out the atrocity “in response to calls to target nationals of countries in the international coalition”.

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