Man with ties to Berlin terror suspect held in Tunisia

Tunis Feb 28 (IANS/AKI) Security forces in eastern Tunisia on Tuesday arrested a man suspected of close links to Anis Amri the Islamic State supporter who allegedly drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin killing 12 people local reports said.

The unnamed man was held in the coastal city of a Sfax and was expelled from Germany last year the local media reports said citing investigators.

The suspect is said to belong to a terrorism cell active in Germany which has German Russian and Turkish members.

A rookie police officer shot dead Amri a 24-year-old Tunisian when he allegedly opened fire on police during a routine security check in a suburb in Italy s Milan city on December 23.

Amri was accused of ramming a heavily laden truck into crowds at Berlin s popular Breitscheidplatz market on December 19. Besides the 12 people who died 56 were injured in the attack.

--IANS/AKI
vd