Islamic State Says One of Its 'Soldiers' Was Responsible for Berlin Truck Attack

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly assault in the German capital.

On Monday, a track crashed into a crowd at a popular Berlin Christmas market, leaving 12 people dead and 38 injured. Witnesses said they saw a man flee from the truck following the crash. An individual near the scene was taken into custody based on witnesses’ descriptions; however, authorities later released him after finding no evidence he was in the truck during the attack. German law enforcement said the killer is still at large.

According to the Associated Press, the Islamic State group’s Amaq news agency announced the man driving the truck was "a soldier of the Islamic State" who "carried out the attack in response to calls for targeting citizens of the Crusader coalition." German Interior Minister Thomas De Maiziere responded to the claim, insisting "several lines of investigation" were being pursued.

If the IS was, in fact, responsible for the assault, it would be the first successful mass-casualty Islamic extremist attack in Germany. Many have compared the tragedy to the deadly truck attack in Nice during Bastille Day this year.

“There is also the prominent and symbolic target of a Christmas market, and the modus operandi that mirrors at least past calls by jihadi terror organizations," Germany's top prosecutor, Peter Frank, told the Associated Press. But there are still many unanswered questions. "We don't know for sure whether it was one or several perpetrators," he said. "We don't know for sure whether he, or they, had support. These investigations aren't concluded yet."