Tunisian man arrested in Berlin truck attack released

BERLIN, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- German authorities released a Tunisian man detained on suspicion he was linked to the driver of a truck who killed 12 people in a Berlin terrorist attack, prosecutors said Thursday.

They said the person detained "is not the suspected contact of Anis Amri," who, after making a video in which he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, drove a stolen truck through a Berlin outdoor Christmas market on Dec. 19. The attack killed 12 people and injured 56 others.

The hijacker of the truck fled on foot, but his wallet, identification, cellphone and fingerprints, all left at the scene, identified him as Amri. Amri, 24, was shot to death several days later by police in Milan.

Police found contact information on Amri's cellphone leading them to a Tunisian man, suggesting he may have been involved in the attack. They detained him Wednesday in Berlin. No charges were brought against the 40-year-old man.