One of those "Syrian refugees" that Merkel let in.
Merkel: It is a difficult day
Posted at 10:46
Here is a bit more of what Angela Merkel said at a news conference a few moments ago.
"This is a very difficult day. Like millions of people in Germany, I am appalled, shocked and deeply saddened at what happened yesterday evening in Berlin's Breitscheidplatz.
"Twelve people who were alive among us yesterday, who were looking forward to Christmas, who had plans for the holiday period, they are no longer with us. An atrocious and ultimately incomprehensible act robbed them of their lives."
I would like you to know that we - all of us, the whole of the country - are with you in deep sadness."
She added: "It would be very difficult for us to learn that a human being committed this deed who came to Germany to ask for refuge and asylum.
"It would be terrible for all of the Germans who are very active day by day in helping asylum seekers and refugees."
Flags lowered in Brussels
Posted at 10:55
Flags outside the EU Commission building in Brussels have been lowered to half-mast following the suspected attack in Berlin.
Suspect 'given residence permit in 2016'
10:56
German newspaper Die Welt is reporting that the suspect being questioned by police over the Berlin attack has had a temporary residence permit since June 2016.
The newspaper cited a criminal police report, which it said added that there continued to be a high threat from Islamist terrorism in Germany.
A German security source earlier said the suspect was a 23-year-old migrant from Pakistan, who was known to police for committing minor offences.
This is the full transcript of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's news conference about the suspected attack a short while ago:
This is a very difficult day. I, like millions in Germany, am outraged, shocked and deeply saddened by what happened yesterday in Berlin.
Twelve people who were still with us yesterday, who were looking forward to Christmas and had plans for the holiday, are no longer among us. A horrific and incomprehensible act has robbed them of their lives. More than 40 other people are injured, fighting for their lives or their health.
In these moments I think first of them, the dead and injured and their loved ones. I want them to know that the whole country is united in grief with them. We all hope – and many of us are praying – that they find solace and strength, recover and live on after this dreadful blow.
I think of the emergency services, the police, firefighters, doctors and health workers who served their fellow people yesterday evening in the shadow of the Memorial Church and I thank them from my heart for their difficult work.
I think of the investigators. I have great confidence in the men and women who since yesterday evening have been working to piece together this deplorable act. Every detail of what happened will be uncovered and it will be punished as hard as our law demands.
There is a lot we still don’t know with enough certainty about this act but we must assume it was an act of terrorism.
I know that it would be especially hard for us to bear if someone who had asked for refuge and asylum turned out to have done this. It would be particularly sickening for the many Germans who daily work to help refugees and for those who really do need our shelter and are working to integrate into society.
I’m in constant contact with the president, interior minister De Maiziere and Berlin mayor Michael Muller. In 30 minutes the security cabinet will meet and I have invited the relevant ministers and the heads of the security services to report on the situation and the possible consequences that could arise from it and we will meet again when necessary.
I, along with the mayor and interior minister, will - like so many other Berliners - go to the Breitscheidplatz in the afternoon to express our condolences.
Millions of people, me included, are asking themselves this morning - how can we live with the fact that during a carefree stroll in the Christmas market - a place where we celebrate life - a murderer can cause so many deaths. A simple answer to that, I do not have.
I only know that we cannot and do not wish to give all this up – Christmas markets, good times with family and friends outside in our city squares. We do not want to live paralysed by the fear of evil, even if it is hard in these difficult hours. We will find the strength to live life as we in Germany want to live it – free, with one another and open."
Live: Berlin lorry attack kills 12 at Christmas market - BBC News
