Germany has issued a reward of up to 100,000 euros to find the main suspect in the Berlin Christmas market attack.

A Europe-wide manhunt has been launched to trace Tunisian Anis Amri, who is believed to be armed and dangerous and has links to Islamic extremists, say investigators.

The failed asylum seeker is suspected of being at the wheel of a hijacked 25-tonne lorry which ploughed into a crowd of shoppers at a busy market in the German capital.

Image: Police are looking for Anis Amri who is thought to have used several different aliases

Twelve people were killed and 48 others injured in Monday evening's attack, which has been claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group.

Authorities have issued a European arrest warrant for 24-year-old Amri, who is thought to have used six different aliases and three different nationalities.


Image: Amri is believed to be armed and dangerous

He was known to police and detectives have raided two Berlin apartments but did not find him, said the Die Welt newspaper.

Amri, who arrived in Germany in July 2015, had been considered a possible terror threat by the country's authorities before this week's crash, according to an official.

The interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, Ralf Jaeger, said "security agencies exchanged information about this person in the joint counter-terrorism centre, the last time in November".

Image: He was apparently considered a possible terror threat before the truck attack

German authorities rejected an asylum request by Amri in July.

They prepared to deport him but were not able to do so as he did not have valid identity papers, said Mr Jaeger.

The changing tactics of terrorism

The £84,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the suspected driver being detained.

Documents which were apparently asylum office papers issued to Amri were found in the truck cab, according to German media.

He is described as being 5ft 8in tall, with black hair and brown eyes.

Image: A European arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect

Tunisian anti-terror police have questioned his family who live in the town of Oueslatia.

The original driver of the lorry, Lukasz Urban from Poland, was beaten and stabbed before his vehicle was driven by a hijacker at the market in Breitscheidplatz, it is believed.

Security increased in Berlin as city vows to carry on as normal after market attack

Mr Urban, 37, was still alive during the rampage and was then shot dead just before the attacker fled the scene, according to reports.

The gun has not yet been recovered.

A Pakistani asylum seeker who was arrested shortly after the massacre was released by police on Tuesday due to lack of evidence.

Image: Lukasz Urban was reportedly beaten and stabbed

In July, some 86 people were killed when a terrorist drove a truck through crowds along Nice's packed waterfront on Bastille Day.

The massacre was carried out by a Tunisian man living in France.

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