Berlin attacker identified as 23-year-old Pakistani refugee

The man who drove a lorry into a crowded Berlin Christmas market killing 12 people in a suspect terror attack has been identified by local media as a 23-year-old Pakistani refugee, the Independent reports.

"Naved B", who had been living in Flughfen Tempelhof, an old airport that had been converted into a refugee centre, was detained last night following the attack.

According to German radio station RBB-Inforadio, the 23-year-old was registered in Germany on 31 December 2015 in Passau, in Bavaria.

German media have reported the suspect was known as a petty criminal, but was not thought to be a potential terrorist.

The information has not been confirmed by the police, who have yet to give information on the alleged offender.

The identity of the alleged attacker was first revealed by German daily Die Welt, which said the attacker was born on 1 January 1993.