Germany confirms death of Berlin Christmas market attack suspect

BERLIN -- German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Friday confirmed the death of Anis Amri, a man suspected of committing Monday's truck attack on a Christmas market in downtown Berlin.

The minister said he was "very relieved" that the suspected attacker no longer posed a danger.

De Maiziere told reporters that despite the death of the suspect, threats from extremists "remains high" in Germany, stressing that the German government would not scale down security.

The Italian government announced earlier Friday that Amri was shot and killed by police during a routine patrol in Milan.

The suspect opened fire at two police officers who had stopped him and asked for his identification near a local train station. Amri was killed and one policeman injured during the shootout.

Peter Frank, Germany's top federal prosecutor, told reporters here that the German authorities will continue the investigation into the Christmas market attack in Berlin that left 12 dead and 48 others injured.

"Even though Anis Amri has died, we'll continue our investigation," Frank said. It was very important to find out whether there was a network of supporters and accomplices, he added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday also issued a statement over the death of Anis Amri, a Tunisian national who allegedly fled Berlin to Milia via France after committing the truck attack.

Merkel said that she had told Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi in a phone conversation that Germany wanted quicker deportation of Tunisian asylum seekers whose applications had been rejected.

The truck attack on the Christmas market raised many questions, she said, vowing that her government would take necessary measures to make the country better secured.