Berlin attack: Police say lorry crash 'probably terror attack'
German police are investigating a "probable terrorist attack" after a man ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48.
They have detained the driver, who security sources reportedly say is an Afghan or Pakistani asylum seeker.
He arrived in Germany in February as a refugee, the DPA news agency said.
The daily Tagesspiegel said the man was known to the police for minor crimes, but not terror links.
"All police measures related to the suspected terrorist attack at Breitscheidplatz are progressing at full steam and with the necessary diligence," Berlin Police said on Twitter.
German politicians had avoided branding the bloodshed a terror attack in the hours immediately following, but Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told ARD television, "there are many things pointing to one".
What happened?
The market is at Breitscheidplatz, close to the Kurfuerstendamm, the main shopping street in Berlin's west.
The crash happened in the shadow of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was damaged in a World War Two bombing raid and preserved as a symbol of peace.
The truck, which was loaded with steel beams, veered into the market at 20:14 local time (19:14 GMT),one of its busiest times. It crashed through wooden huts and stands packed with tourists and locals.
According to the DPA news agency, police believe the lorry drove 50-80 metres (160-260 ft) through the market area.
What do we know about the suspect?
German media say the lorry driver was from Afghanistan or Pakistan and had entered the country as a refugee in the past year.
Die Welt said special forces had stormed a hangar at Berlin's Tempelhof airport where they believed the suspect - who the German newspaper identified as a 23-year-old Pakistani - had been living in a shelter before the attack.
The driver was reportedly seized after leaving his truck and fleeing on foot.
Berlin police spokesman Winfried Wenzel told Die Welt that the man ran down the street towards the Tiergarten, a large public park.
A witness followed him at a distance for more than a mile (2 km), and called the police, who quickly detained him near the Victory Column monument.
The police spokesman speculated that the driver may have wanted to "find shelter in the darkness of the park".
Where did the lorry come from?
Police confirmed that a passenger was found dead in the lorry, and said he was a Polish national. There are fears he may have been the original driver of the vehicle, and that he was subject to a hijacking.
Ariel Zurawski, the Polish owner of the lorry, confirmed that his driver was missing and had been unreachable since 16:00 (15:00 GMT) on Monday.
