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German Officials Detain Man For Questioning About Berlin Truck Attack

The Christmas market near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin continues on Dec. 22. Somber but determined not to be cowed, visitors flocked to the market as it reopened three days after being struck in a deadly truck assault.
Michael Kappeler
/
AFP/Getty Images
The Christmas market near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin continues on Dec. 22. Somber but determined not to be cowed, visitors flocked to the market as it reopened three days after being struck in a deadly truck assault.

Authorities in Germany have detained a man for questioning in connection to the deadly attack on a Christmas market in Berlin earlier this month.

Last week, police in Milan, Italy, shot and killed Anis Amri, the Tunisian man suspected of driving a truck into the market on Dec. 19. Twelve people died in that attack.

Now they are questioning a 40-year-old man whose phone number was found in Amri's cellphone.

"This new suspect is also from Tunisia and police say investigations indicate he may have been involved in the attack," Kerry Skyring reports for NPR.

"He is being detained for questioning and a formal arrest warrant will be issued if there is sufficient evidence," Skyring says. "Police are also trying to establish whether others assisted Amri to plan and carry out the attack."

Meanwhile, European authorities continue to investigate how Amri, who had been flagged as a threat and marked for deportation months ago, traveled from Germany to Milan after the attack.

The Associated Press reports:

"Italian police have said Amri traveled through France, and French authorities said on Tuesday that he made a stop in the eastern French city of Lyon.

"On Wednesday, Dutch authorities said they are checking whether he fled through the Netherlands, Germany's western neighbor.

" 'There are indications that he did travel via the Netherlands' on his way to Lyon, Wim de Bruin, a spokesman for the Dutch national prosecutor's office, said.

"De Bruin refused to provide further details on how and from where Amri might have traveled in the Netherlands."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Camila Flamiano Domonoske covers cars, energy and the future of mobility for NPR's Business Desk.