Who was Anis Amri? What we know about the Berlin Christmas market attack prime suspect shot dead in Milan
Mass murder suspect was killed in dramatic shootout with Italian cops while screaming "Allahu Akbar", according to reports
BERLIN attack suspect Anis Amri was shot dead by Italian cops in a dramatic shootout in Milan.
The Tunisian asylum seeker, who was accused of slaughtering 12 people by ploughing a lorry through a Christmas market, was killed in Sesto San Giovanni after he was stopped by officers for a document check.
Who was Anis Amri?
Anis Amri was a 24-year-old Tunisian asylum seeker suspected of ploughing a lorry into crowds at a Berlin Christmas market.
Since his death it has been confirmed that he pledged allegiance to ISIS in a video.
His ID documents were found inside the truck which crashed into festive shoppers killing 12.
Born in the desert town of Tataouine on Tunisia’s border with Libya, the suspect was believed to have undergone weapons training abroad.
He was thought to have been awaiting an asylum hearing on his German residency.
Amri was described as armed, “extremely dangerous” and a member of a “large” Islamic organisation.
The suspect was believed to have been living in temporary housing while awaiting an asylum decision.
He was thought to have arrived in Germany earlier this year.
His father described him as a violent drinker and drug user who was radicalised in a European prison.
He said his son left Tunisia in March of 2011, adding if he did commit the attack he would be disowned by his family.
German police have offered a reward of 100,000 euros for information leading to his arrest.
Amri was a disciple of Abu Walaa, arrested in Hildesheim last month for recruiting radicals into the ranks of ISIS.
Walaa was arrested along with five members of a terrorist recruiting network operating on behalf of the so-called Islamic State, according to prosecutors.
The group was arrested in the North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony regions over allegations they helped fighters travel from Germany to Syria.
Amri was thought to be a follower of the conservative Salafist branch of Islam.
It emerged police freed Amri three times after arrests this year, and stopped watching him in September.
He was reportedly due to be deported on December 21.
How was Anis Amri killed and how was it played out?
The 24-year-old shot at two officers while screaming “Allahu Akbar”,
He was reportedly gunned down after hitting and injuring one of the Italian cops.
They had pulled him over for a document check, Reuters reported.
Cops reportedly found a train ticket from France in his backpack, suggesting he had just arrived in the country.
It comes after a Europe-wide manhunt for the Tunisian thought to have been behind Monday’s lorry attack.
Danish Police earlier said a man matching Amri’s description had been spotted in Eternitten in Aalborg.
How was Anis Amri connected to the Berlin Christmas market attack?
Anis Amri’s ID documents were found inside the lorry that ploughed into a crowd killing 12.
Anti-terror cops have searched a migrant centre on the border town of Emmerich where Amri lived.
Local newspaper Rheinische Post reported that a huge manhunt was under way.
The town is in the province of North-Rhine Westphalia – where Amri’s ID was believed to have been issued.
It is also understood to be the same town in which he applied for German asylum in April.
Police were thought to be working on the premise he was injured in a life-or-death struggle with the lorry’s murdered Polish driver after his blood was found in the cab.
One chilling theory emerging today suggests he could have posed as a victim of the attack in a bid to make his escape.
Was he already known to police?
Tunisian Amri was known to police over an assault allegation but is thought to have gone underground before charges were pressed.
He was arrested in August and found to be in possession of a fake Italian passport, after which his phone was monitored until he disappeared earlier this month.
He had been arrested in Tunisia several times for alleged drug use.
Who is Naved B?
Cops had earlier botched their hunt for the terrorist behind the attack by arresting a man who had accidentally jumped a red light.
The innocent Pakistani refugee – named locally as Naved B - was taken into custody after being singled out for the minor traffic offence a mile down the road from the atrocity.
He was released from custody last night when cops found no blood or gun residue on him.
Police conceded they have given the real killer an 18-hour head-start, they admitted: “We cried hurrah too quickly.”
It became apparent 23-year-old Naved Baluch had nothing to do with the massacre as police flew him to a secretive detention centre in the city of Karlsruhe.
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