Arrest of 'Three Members of a Terrorist Cell' in Tunisia Related to Berlin Attack

Tunisian authorities announced the arrest of three individuals as part of a 'terrorist cell' linked to Anis Amri, the main suspect in the murder of several German citizens at the Berlin Christmas market. According to AFP, Tunisia's Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday, December 25, that its agents had arrested Anis Amri's nephew along with 'two other jihadists' who were connected to him. On Monday evening, an individual drove a truck into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 and injuring 48, with Anis Amri being the main suspect in this incident until he was shot dead in Milan, Italy, after firing at a police officer. The Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a release that the three suspects, aged between 18 and 27, were arrested for their connection to 'terrorist Anis Amri.' The statement noted that 'one member of this terrorist cell' is Anis Amri's nephew, who had been in contact with his uncle via the Telegram messaging service, and that Amri had sent money to him, asking him to adopt a 'takfiri' ideology and pledge allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS). According to the report, Amri's nephew told police that his uncle was the leader of a jihadist group based in Germany called 'Abu Walaa Brigade' and had also asked him to come to Germany and join this group. The Tunisian Ministry of Interior did not specify where the three suspects were arrested but stated that this 'terrorist cell' was active between the cities of Fouchana and Wessalatia in central Tunisia. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the Spanish Ministry of Interior announced that its intelligence service is investigating a possible online contact between Amri and a resident of Spain recorded on December 19. Anis Amri arrived in southern Italy in 2011 with a group of other migrants and was arrested after attempting to set fire to a school in Sicily, spending four years in prison before moving to Germany.