Police declare false alarm after clearing Berlin market attacked in 2016

BERLIN, Germany — Police on Saturday evacuated a Christmas market in Berlin that was targeted in a deadly attack three years ago in what turned out to be a false alarm involving an apparent case of mistaken identity.

Berlin police tweeted on Saturday evening that they were evacuating the market on the Breitscheidplatz square in the center of the capital because of indications of a suspicious object.

News agency dpa reported that police later said two men had attracted officers’ attention because of their behavior. Initial suspicions that there was an arrest warrant for one of them, which arose because his name apparently was similar to someone on a wanted list, turned out to be unfounded.

There were no arrests, but police said they decided to act because of the location’s history. Some 350 officers were deployed.

Earlier reports had claimed two Syrian refugees had been arrested.

Police secure the area around the Breitscheidplatz near the Christmas market on December 21, 2019 in Berlin (Gregor Fischer / dpa / AFP)

An Islamic extremist from Tunisia, Anis Amri, drove a stolen truck into the Christmas market on December 19, 2016, killing 12 people, before fleeing the scene. He was killed days later in a shootout with police in Italy.