Last month, interior minister warned ‘great vigilance’ needed at Christmas marketspublished at 22:09 Greenwich Mean Time 20 December
Jessica Parker
BBC News Berlin correspondent
Only last month, Germany’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser, talked about the need for “great vigilance” at the nation’s Christmas markets.
However, Faeser said there were no “concrete” indications of danger. She also reportedly pointed to tougher weapons laws in public spaces, which the government pursued in the wake of the Solingen knife attack in which three people died.
In that case, a 26-year-old Syrian man was detained with prosecutors alleging he’s suspected of being a member of the Islamic State group.
The Solingen tragedy – which happened in August – further exposed an already fraught debate on asylum and migration in Germany.