BERLIN,
(UPI) -- German authorities said Tuesday they've
released a man initially suspected in the truck crash that killed 12 people at
a holiday market in Berlin -- an event officials are investigating as an act of
terrorism.
Berlin police said their
investigation has determined a 23-year-old Pakistani asylum-seeker they
arrested appears to be above
suspicion -- based partly on the fact that he had no
blood on his clothing at the time of his arrest, shortly after the crash. He
was detained leaving the scene.
Police said the driver of
the delivery truck almost certainly would have had blood on his clothing,
because it was everywhere inside the truck's cab.
"The investigations
so far did not result in an urgent grounds for suspicion," prosecutors
said in a statement. "The criminal investigations carried out so far have
not been able to prove a presence of the accused during the incident in the
truck."
Officials said the driver
is likely still at large, and they continue to acknowledge the possibility that
the event was carried out by a migrant.
The stolen truck, loaded
with steel beams and belonging to a Polish company, drove through a festive
holiday market in Berlin's west flank on Monday. At least 48 people were
injured, 18 seriously.
The company that owned
the truck said it lost contact with its driver prior to the attack, leading
police to suspect it had been hijacked somewhere along its route.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on
Tuesday said the incident is being treated by police as a terrorist attack.
"I know it would be
especially hard to bear for all of us if it should be confirmed that the person
who committed this act sought protection and asylum in Germany," she said.
"This would be especially despicable toward the many, many Germans who are
daily engaged in helping refugees, and toward the many, many people who truly
need this protection and strive to integrate themselves into our country."
Tuesday Dec 23, through
its Amaq news agency, the
Islamic State claimed credit for the Berlin truck crash, saying, one of its “soldiers” as responsible.
"The executor of the
operation in Berlin is a soldier of the Islamic State and he executed the
operation in response to calls to target nationals of the coalition
countries," the statement said.
Authorities will likely
be at least somewhat skeptical of the claim, however, as the terror group has
previously demonstrated its willingness to take responsibility for acts of
violence in which it is not directly involved.
The group claimed credit for a knife attack in October that killed a teenage boy. Investigators doubted the
claim, though, saying it didn't align with evidence in the case.
German authorities still
aren't sure yet whether Monday's crash was a deliberate act.
While the number of
refugees entering Germany dropped in 2016, Merkel's open-door-policy has polarized voters.
The Berlin incident threatens to undermine
her domestic policy as Germany heads to an election year, and could lead to
more support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany Party, known as
AfD.
"Germany is no
longer safe," AfD co-chairwoman Frauke Petry said. "We must be under
no illusions. The breeding ground in which such acts can flourish has been
negligently and systematically imported over the past year and a half."
Emoticon Emoticon