Suspect in Berlin attack had been under terrorism investigation
December 21, 2016 21:32
A 23-year-old Tunisian man sought as a suspect in the deadly truck attack at a Berlin Christmas market had been the subject of a terrorism investigation and slated for deportation, a top security official said.
The suspect, identified by German officials as Anis A., had been on the radar of intelligence officials across Germany and was being investigated by state prosecutors on suspicion of planning an attack, Ralf Jger, the interior minister of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said.
The suspects application for asylum was rejected in June 2016, but he couldnt be deported because he lacked a valid passport, Jger said. German authorities sought to get a new passport, but Tunisia initially challenged whether or not the man was in fact a Tunisian citizen, Jger said. The new travel documents arrived on Wednesday, he said.
This person attracted the attention of various security agencies in Germany because of contacts to a radical Islamist milieu, Jger said.
TOP STORIES
© 2024 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances