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Germany’s Interior Ministry says tragedy at Berlin Christmas market is terror attack

The Islamic State terrorist group may be behind the attack

BERLIN, December 20. /TASS/. Germany’s Interior Ministry has called the tragedy at a Christmas market in Berlin late on Monday a terror attack.

"We have no more doubt that this awful event that occurred yesterday’s evening was an act of terrorism," Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters.

"The truck was deliberately steered into the crowd. We deal with an inhuman act," de Maiziere said, confirming that a suspected perpetrator of the attack was a refugee from Pakistan.

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Maiziere said there have been signs that the Islamic State terrorist group may be behind the terrorist attack at a Christmas market in Berlin.

"There is indirect acknowledgment of responsibility and disgusting words of ‘greetings.’ There has been no official acknowledgment by the IS so far," Maiziere said.

The truck rammed into a crowd of Christmas shoppers at a fair in downtown West Berlin, on Breitscheidplatz near Kurfurstendamm Street at around 8:20 p.m. It steamrolled on for another 80 meters deeper into the market’s territory. As a result, twelve people were killed and 48, some in critical condition, were taken to hospital.

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