"Undoubtedly, among the many people that sought refuge in our country were some that appeared in the focus of the security services. That is why we have the responsibility before the innocent refugees as well as before all of us to make sure that those who obnoxiously abuse our willingness to help will face consequences. However, we must not forget that our land has been a target of Islamic terrorism even before the refugees arrived," Merkel said.
She stressed that German authorities do everything in their powers to provide security to the people, working in "close cooperation between the federal and local" governments.
"We will never accept terror," the chancellor stressed.
Earlier on Thursday, the Prosecutor's Office issued an arrest warrant for an Iraqi citizen identified as 26-year-old Abdul Beset A., who was detained on Wednesday in connection to the attack and is "strongly suspected" of being a member of Daesh, outlawed in Russia.
In 2015, Germany declared an open-door refugee policy, becoming one of the key destinations for migrants coming to Europe from the Middle East and North Africa. According to the country's Interior Ministry, the number of refugees that came to Germany in 2016 amounted to some 280,000, compared to 890,000 arrivals in 2015. The majority of asylum seekers arriving in Germany are from Syria or Afghanistan.
