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BERLIN (AP) -- The Latest on investigation of truck rampage in Berlin Christmas market (all times local):
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3:10 p.m.
The head of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office says he cannot rule out that suspects involved in the truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market could still be at large.
Holger Muench told reporters Tuesday that authorities are still not positive the suspect they have in custody was the driver of the truck, that they have not yet found a pistol believed used to kill the truck's passenger, and that it is not known overall how people were involved.
For those reasons, he says, we are "naturally on high alert and are investigating in all directions."
He says six of the 12 people killed have been identified and are all Germans, but he does not yet know whether the other six are as well.
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2:50 p.m.
Germany's top prosecutor says investigators are treating the Berlin Christmas market attack as an act of terrorism, though there is no claim of responsibility yet.
Peter Frank also told reporters Tuesday it's not entirely clear whether there was one perpetrator or more. He says the suspect in custody "may not have been the perpetrator or belong to the group of perpetrators."
Frank says the method used in the rampage was reminiscent of July's truck attack in Nice, France and of the "modus operandi" used by Islamic extremist groups.
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2:40 p.m.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed his grief over the deaths in the attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.
In a statement, he says that "terrorism is our common enemy and the world needs to put up a joint fight against this menace." Sharif says Pakistan will continue to take steps to eliminate terrorism, as his country also has been a victim.
Police detained an asylum-seeker from Pakistan shortly after Monday's attack, but he denied involvement, Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said. Berlin police chief Klaus Kandt said it wasn't clear whether the man was really the truck's driver.
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2:20 p.m.
Pope Francis is urging those of good will to fight the "folly of terrorism."
In a condolence telegram Tuesday to Berlin's archbishop, Francis prays for the dead and injured in Monday's attack on a Christmas market in Berlin. He says he joins "all men of good will" who have committed themselves to efforts "so that the murderous folly of terrorism finds no more room in our world."
Francis also prays for the 12 persons who were killed and for the many wounded in what he called `'the terrible act of violence."
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1:40 p.m.
Berlin's police chief says it isn't clear whether the man detained in the wake of Monday's fatal truck attack on a busy Christmas market was really the driver.
Klaus Kandt told reporters in Berlin that "we haven't been able to confirm it yet."
Twelve people were killed in the attack.
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1 p.m.
The owner of a Polish trucking company says the driver who was the first victim of the attack on a Christmas market in Berlin was stabbed and shot to death in the cabin of his truck.
Ariel Zurawski says German authorities asked him to identify the victim, Lukasz Urban, 37, from photos.
"His face was swollen and bloodied. It was really clear that he was fighting for his life," Zurawski said, speaking to broadcaster TVN.
Lukasz Wasik, the manager of the trucking company, described Urban as a "good, quiet and honest person" devoted to his work.
"I believe he would not give up the vehicle and would defend it to the end if were attacked," Wasik said in comments carried by TVP, Poland's state broadcaster.
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12:55 p.m.
Germany's top security official says a suspect arrested after the truck attack in Berlin "comes from Pakistan" and had applied for asylum.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters Tuesday that the suspect entered Germany on Dec. 31, 2015, and arrived in Berlin in February.
He says that so far authorities have no knowledge of a claim of responsibility from the Islamic State group.
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12:45 p.m.
Germany's top security official says authorities have "no doubt" that the fatal ramming of a busy Christmas market in Berlin on Monday was an intentional attack.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere says 12 people were killed. Among the dead was a Polish citizen found on the passenger seat of the truck with a gunshot wound.
De Maiziere told reporters on Tuesday that a man arrested in connection with the attack has denied to police that he was involved.
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11:50 a.m.
Danish and Norwegian police have increased their presence at Christmas markets in the countries' capitals, Copenhagen and Oslo, following the deadly attack in Berlin.
The prime minister of Finland, Juha Sipala, said Monday's attack that killed at least 12 people "was (an) evening of absolutely shocking news and senseless violence."
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11:20 a.m.
Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo says it is "with pain and sadness we received the information that the first victim of this heinous act of violence was a Polish citizen."
Szydlo told reporters that Monday's attack on a Christmas market in Berlin is a reminder that "Europe must become unified in the fight against terrorism and Europe must take effective action to protect its citizens."
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11:10 a.m.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is "shocked, shaken and deeply saddened" by the attack on a Berlin Christmas market that killed at least 12 people Monday.
Merkel told reporters on Tuesday that it would be "particularly sickening" if it turns out the attacker was an asylum-seeker who sought refuge in Germany.
German media have reported that a suspect arrested after the attack was a Pakistani citizen who came to Germany in late 2015 or early 2016.
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11:05 a.m.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken with U.S. President Barack Obama, who expressed his condolences in the wake of the fatal attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.
At least a dozen people were killed when a truck rammed into the busy market in the German capital in what police described as a suspected "terror attack."
Merkel's office says the two leaders spoke by phone early Tuesday, and Obama assured the chancellor of America's full support in investigating the attack.
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11:00 a.m.
London's Metropolitan Police say they are reviewing security plans for public events over the holidays after Monday's attacks in Germany and Turkey.
Police said Tuesday they are considering "a range of threats, including the use of large vehicles."
Police say it is routine to review security plans after attacks overseas.
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10:55 a.m.
Berlin police are stepping up armed patrols in response to the fatal attack on a Christmas market Monday.
Police said Tuesday on Twitter that the measure is being taken "as a precaution."
At least a dozen people were killed when a truck rammed into a busy Christmas market in the German capital in what police described as a suspected "terror attack."
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10:45 a.m.
Berlin's top security official is calling for Christmas markets in the city to remain shut on Tuesday after Monday's attack that killed at least 12.
Germany's Interior Ministry says Berlin's state interior minister, Andreas Geisel, told federal and regional counterparts that operators of Christmas markets in the capital were asked to close out of respect for the victims and their relatives.
The ministry says the officials agreed that Christmas markets and other major events across Germany should go ahead and that decisions on tightening security measures should be made locally.
The federal interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, said: "Whatever we find out going forward about the exact background motive of the perpetrators, we must not and will not allow our free life to be taken away."
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9:40 a.m.
Police in the English city of Manchester say they are increasing patrols of many popular Christmas markets following the attack in Berlin.
Police said Tuesday they had added extra protection at the 10 market sites, which are often thronged with shoppers in the days before Christmas.
Assistant chief Debbie Ford says the increase is in line with Britain's "national response." The country's terror threat has long been judged to be severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.
She says there is no intelligence suggesting an attack in greater Manchester is imminent.
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9:25 a.m.
German police have searched a large shelter for asylum-seekers in Berlin in response to the fatal attack on Christmas market Monday.
The dpa news agency reported Tuesday that up to 250 officers took part in the operation at the now-defunct Tempelhof airport overnight.
It quoted a spokesman for Berlin's office for refugee affairs, Sascha Langenbach, saying four men in the late 20s were questioned by police but nobody was arrested.
Several German media, citing unnamed security sources, reported that the suspect in the attack was a Pakistani man who entered Germany late 2015 or early this year.
Police declined to comment on the reports, referring questions to federal prosecutors who didn't immediately respond to calls Tuesday.
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8:10 a.m.
Germany's top security official is ordering flags at federal buildings to be flown at half-staff in the wake of Monday's truck attack in Berlin.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a statement Tuesday that the decision was taken as a mark of sympathy following the attack.
Authorities say at least 12 people were killed and almost 50 injured when a heavily laden truck slammed into a Christmas market in the west of the German capital.
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6 a.m.
Berlin police say the attack on the Christmas market that left at least 12 people dead was done on purpose.
In a posting on Twitter early Tuesday, the police said the attack in which a truck rammed into the market in the German capital was done on purpose. Police also called it a suspected terrorist attack.
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2:45 a.m.
Police in Berlin say the passenger who died in the truck that rammed into a Christmas market was a Polish national.
In their posting on Twitter early Tuesday, police don't identify the man or give other details.
The Polish owner of the truck said earlier that he feared the vehicle may have been hijacked.
Authorities say 12 people were killed when the truck smashed through the market. Four dozen people were taken to hospitals for injuries, some of the serious.
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2 a.m.
Berlin police have raised the death toll to 12 after a truck rammed into a Christmas market in the German capital.
The police statement on Twitter also says 48 people were injured, some of them seriously, and taken to hospitals.
Authorities had previously said that at least nine people were killed.
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12:55 a.m.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is blaming Islamist terrorists for a truck crashing into a Christmas market in Berlin that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more.
Although German authorities are still investigating the attack, the White House earlier also said the incident "appears to have been a terrorist attack."
Trump's statement offers nothing to back up his claim that Islamist terrorists were behind the attack. He says they and the Islamic State group continually slaughter Christians in their communities and places of worship as part of their global jihad.
The president-elect adds that terrorists must be "eradicated from the face of the earth" and pledges to carry out that mission with all "freedom-loving partners."
The Islamic State group and al-Qaida have both called on followers to use trucks to attack crowds.
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12:40 a.m.
Germany's top security official says that he's not ready to call incident at Christmas market an "attack," but adds that there are many indications pointing to the truck crash that killed nine people in Berlin as having been intentional.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere tells ARD television: "I don't want to use the word `attack' yet at the moment, although a lot speaks for it."
De Maiziere adds that "there is a psychological effect in the whole country of the choice of words here, and we want to be very, very cautious and operate close to the actual investigation results, not with speculation."
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12:05 a.m.
Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano says he was "deeply stricken and pained" by the deaths of nine people in Berlin when a heavy truck crashed into a Christmas market.
Though German police say it is too early to call whether the incident was intentional, Aflano refers to as an attack.
In a statement provided by Italy's foreign ministry, Alfano expresses closeness to Germans "in this sad moment that instead should be of joy and peace in the approach to the Christmas holidays."
Alfano says attacks "won't change our determination to combat terrorism" alongside international partners and in particular Germany, saying the two countries are in strict coordination.
Separately, Italy's ambassador in Berlin, Pietro Benassi, told Italian state TV that German authorities couldn't say yet if any foreigners were among the victims.
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11:15 p.m.
A Berlin police spokesman says that in addition to the nine dead in a Christmas market about 50 people were injured, including several critically.
Winfried Wenzel told The Associated Press at the scene that among the fatalities was the passenger of the truck, who died as paramedics treated him at the scene. He offered no details on how the passenger was injured.
Wenzel said the truck was registered in Poland, but that police were still investigating where it came from and who the driver is.
The Polish owner of the truck said he feared the vehicle, driven by his cousin, may have been hijacked. Ariel Zurawki said he last spoke with the driver around noon, and the driver told him he was in Berlin and scheduled to unload Tuesday morning.
Zurawki said that "they must have done something to my driver," he told TVN24.
Berlin's top security official, state interior minister Andreas Geisel, told RBB television that it was too early to say whether it was an attack, and said that reports the truck may have been hijacked were "pure speculation."
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10:50 p.m.
Czech authorities are increasing security after a truck has run into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin killing at least nine people.
Interior Minister Milan Chovanec tweeted that security is being beefed up at places with a high concentration of people all across the country.
Chovanec also says that more armed police officers will be on Czech streets. He says further possible security measures will be decided on Tuesday.
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10:40 p.m.
Berlin police are encouraging people to use a Facebook safety check to learn if loved ones are safe after a truck plowed into a crowded Christmas market. At least nine people were killed.
The tweet linked out to Facebook, which has set up checks periodically after natural disasters and attacks around the world.
But police also asked people to refrain from spreading videos to protect privacy.
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10:30 p.m.
Germany's justice minister says that federal prosecutors, who handle terrorism cases, are taking over the investigation after a truck rammed into a Christmas market in Berlin.
Heiko Maas didn't give further details in a post on Twitter Monday night about the "shocking news" from the capital. He added: "we are mourning with the relatives" of the victims.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere says that he's in constant touch with security authorities, but didn't give any indication in a statement whether they believe the incident was an attack.
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10:10 p.m.
Berlin police say that the passenger of a truck that rammed a Christmas market died at the scene.
At least nine people were killed when the truck crashed into the popular market in central Berlin on Monday evening.
Police also tweeted that a suspect was arrested near the scene, and authorities were checking if it was the driver of the truck. No further details were immediately available.
"Police spokesman Winfried Wenzel told ZDF television, however, that the suspect arrested was believed to be the truck driver"
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9:45 p.m.
German police say they've arrested a suspect believed to be the driver of a truck that rammed into a crowded Christmas market in the center of Berlin, killing at least nine and causing multiple injuries.
Police spokesman Winfried Wenzel told ZDF public television that the man was arrested near the scene.
No further details were immediately available.
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9:20 p.m.
Berlin police say a truck has run into a crowded Christmas market in the center of Berlin killing at least nine people, and causing multiple injuries.
Police said on Twitter that the truck rammed into the market outside the capital's popular Christmas market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Monday evening.
Bild newspaper posted a picture of a large Scania truck with its windshield smashed out on the sidewalk alongside the market.
Police say they're still investigating whether the incident was an accident or an attack.
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8:35 p.m.
German media are reporting a truck has run into a crowded Christmas market in the center of Berlin, causing multiple injuries.
Both the Berliner Zeitung newspaper and the Berliner Morgenpost reported the truck ran into the market outside the landmark Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Monday evening.
A photo posted by the Morgenpost showed damaged tables and stalls.
The Berliner Zeitung said police believed there to be multiple injuries, but police couldn't immediately be reached to confirm.
Both newspapers reported it wasn't immediately clear whether the incident was an accident or some kind of an attack on the market.
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