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2016 Berlin truck attack

attack at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin on 19 December 2016

On 19 December 2016 at 20:02 Central European Time, a truck rammed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany. This killed 12 people and injured 49 others.[2] The original driver of the truck was found shot dead in the passenger seat.

2016 Berlin truck attack
Route of the truck.
LocationBreitscheidplatz, Berlin, Germany
Date20 December 2016; 7 years ago (2016-12-20)
20:02 CET (UTC+01)
Attack type
Vehicle-ramming attack, truck hijacking, stabbing, shooting, mass murder
Weapons
Deaths13 (12 pedestrians,[a] original truck driver by gunshot)
Injured
55
Perpetrator ISIS
AssailantAnis Amri
MotiveRetaliation for Germany support of War against the Islamic State

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack.[3] The perpatrator was Anis Amri, a Tunisian asylum seeker. On 23 December 2016, Amri was shot dead by an Italian police officer in Sesto San Giovanni, Lombardy.[4][5][6] German police later confirmed that Amri's fingerprints were the same as those in the truck.

Attack

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The truck that was involved, a Scania semi-trailer truck,[7] was owned by a Polish company named Usługi Transportowe Ariel Żurawski. The truck was transporting steel beams to Berlin.[8]

The original truck driver, Lukasz Urban, is believed to have been killed by the perpetrator. He was stabbed and shot in the head.[9][10] On 19 December 2016, at 20:02 local time, the truck drove through a Christmas market. This killed 12 people. The truck drove 50–80 metres (160–260 ft) and destroyed many booths.[11] Some witnesses saw the driver leave the truck and run towards Tiergarten.

Reactions

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Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babiš said "Unfortunately... [Angela Merkel's open-door migration] policy is responsible for this dreadful act. It was she who let migrants enter Germany and the whole of Europe in uncontrolled waves, without papers, therefore without knowing who they really are."[12][13] Marcus Pretzell, husband of AfD leader Frauke Petry, tweeted: "When will the German state of law strike back? When will this cursed hypocrisy finally stop? These are Merkel's dead! #Nice #Berlin."[14][15]

Muslims and Chrisitians held a vigil together after the attack.[16][17][18][19][20]

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Twelve civilians died immediately after the attack, while a thirteenth civilian died from complications related to his injuries in 2021.[1]

References

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  1. ↑ "Berlin attack: First aider dies 5 years after Christmas market murders". BBC. 26 October 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Noch 14 Menschen in Lebensgefahr" [Still 14 People in Danger]. Der Spiegel. Hamburg, Germany.
  3. ↑ "Nach Anschlag in Berlin: IS reklamiert Attacke auf Weihnachtsmarkt für sich" [After attack in Berlin: IS reclaims attack on Christmas market for itself]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ.net) (in German). Frankfurt, Germany. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "ISIS-linked news agency releases video of Berlin attacker swearing allegiance to the radical group". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  5. ↑ Bonini, Carlo; Pisa, Massimo. "L'attentatore di Berlino Anis Amri ucciso a Sesto: ha urlato "Allah Akbar"" (in Italian). repubblica.it. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Berlin attack suspect Anis Amri killed in Milan". 23 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  7. ↑ LKW rast in Weihnachtsmarkt auf Breitscheidplatz. Archived 2016-12-19 at the Wayback Machine In: Berliner Zeitung, 19. Dezember 2016
  8. ↑ "Berlin lorry deaths: Police say 'probably terrorist attack'". BBC. 20 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "Truck driver named as first victim of Berlin Christmas market terror attack". 20 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "Berlin Christmas market attack: What we know so far". The Daily Telegraph. 20 December 2016.
  11. ↑ Martin, Michelle (20 December 2016). "Berlin police assume truck was deliberately driven into Christmas market". Reuters.com. Reuters.
  12. ↑ "Czech finance minister says 'no place' for migrants in Europe". Reuters. 20 December 2016.
  13. ↑ "Berlin market attack: ISIL claims responsibility, prosecutors release main suspect, perpetrator potentially still at large". Euronews. 20 December 2016.
  14. ↑ Berlin, Allan Hall In (2016-12-20). "Furious backlash at Angela Merkel's immigration policy after attack". Mail Online. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  15. ↑ Gidda, Mirren (20 December 2016). "How World Leaders Reacted to the Berlin Attack". Newsweek. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  16. ↑ "Live: vigil held for victims of Berlin Christmas market attack". The Daily Telegraph. 20 December 2016.
  17. ↑ "Muslime zeigen Solidarität mit Opfern von Berlin" (in German). December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016 – via Die Welt.
  18. ↑ "Berlin lorry attack: Muslim community holds vigil for victims". December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016 – via BBC News.
  19. ↑ "Berlin's Muslim community sends message of peace and solidarity after Christmas market attack". December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016 – via The Independent.
  20. ↑ "'We love Germany' Berlin's Muslims hold peace vigil for Christmas market attack victims". December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016 – via Express News.
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