Truck plows into Berlin Christmas market
At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured when a truck plowed through a crowd at a popular Christmas market in Berlin late Monday, police said.
Polizei Berlin confirmed the deaths on Twitter, and said later that the attacker had been arrested near the scene.
In this photo, parts of a Christmas market decoration stick through the broken windshield of the truck after it crashed into the market in Berlin, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
The attack happened in Breitscheidplatz, a major square in the center of the German capital.
A statement from the White House said: “The United States condemns in the strongest terms what appears to have been a terrorist attack on a Christmas Market in Berlin. ... We have been in touch with German officials, and we stand ready to provide assistance as they recover from and investigate this horrific incident.”
In this photo, police stand at the area after a truck slammed through a Christmas market on December 19, 2016 in Berlin, Germany.
Truck slams into crowd
Every year, the city of Berlin hosts a Christmas market near the fashionable Kurfuerstendamm avenue. The attack happened at the foot of the landmark Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church, which was kept as a ruin after World War II.
In this photo, police stand guard in Berlin on December 19, 2016 after a truck slammed into the crowded Christmas market.
Truck slams into crowd
The attack in Berlin called to mind the deadly July terrorist assault in Nice, France, that saw 86 people killed and hundreds injured when a truck driver slammed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day. The driver was believed to have been inspired by ISIS.
In this photo, a firefighter walks in front of a truck at the site of the crash at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
Police work near the site of the crash at a Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz square near the fashionable Kurfuerstendamm avenue in Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
A firefighter walks in front of a truck at the site of an accident at a Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz square near the fashionable Kurfuerstendamm avenue in the west of Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
A survivor is rescued on a stretcher after a truck crashed into the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz square in Berlin, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
Paramedics work at the site of the crash at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
Police secure the area around the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz square in Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
Heavily armed German police officers secure the site at the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz square in Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
A police officer stands near the Christmas market in Berlin, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
A firefighter walks past the damaged windshield of a truck after it slammed into the Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
A fire engine is parked outside a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016 after a truck slammed into the crowd.
Truck slams into crowd
Paramedics carry a person on a stretcher at a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016 after a truck slammed into the crowd.
Truck slams into crowd
Police secure the area around the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz square near the fashionable Kurfuerstendamm avenue in the west of Berlin, Germany, December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
A police officer with a submachine gun stands guard after a truck ran into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. Several people were killed in what witnesses described as a deliberate attack.
Truck slams into crowd
A firefighter walks past a star decoration after a truck ran into crowded Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Dec. 19, 2016, killing several people.
Truck slams into crowd
Police cars line up the area after a truck slammed through a Christmas market on December 19, 2016 in Berlin, Germany.
Truck slams into crowd
Police speak to an ambulance near the area after a truck slammed into a Christmas market in Berlin on December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
Rescue forces work at the truck that slammed into a Christmas market in Berlin on December 19, 2016.
Truck slams into crowd
Rescue workers arrive to the area after a truck plowed through a Christmas market on December 19, 2016 in Berlin, Germany.
Truck slams into crowd
Firefighters walk past ambulances after a truck ran into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing several people.
Truck slams into crowd
Police stand in front of a truck which ran into a crowded Christmas market, killing several people, in Berlin, Germany, Monday evening December 19, 2016.