From Washington, this is voa news. I'm David DeForest reporting.

Islamic State extremists have claimed responsibility for the truck attack in Berlin mond that killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens.

The claim was posted late Tuesday on the website of the group's Amaq news agency.

The statement came a short while after German police released a lone suspect captured Monday evening after a huge truck smashed into an open-air market where people were partaking in Christmas festivities.

The Chief Prosecutor's Office says it has released the suspect, a Pakistani national, because investigators did not have enough evidence to charge him with a crime.

The Russian and Turkish pprs say the assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey will not harm ties between the two countries.

The two countries' foreign ministers laid flowers Tuesday at the portrait of Ambassador Andrei Karlov in Moscow. Karlov was shot and killed by an off-duty policeman Monday in an apparent protest against Russia's involvement in Syria.

The foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey say the evacuation of the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo should be completed in no more than two days.

turkey's foreign miniter said more than 37,000 people have been evacuated and the goal is to have all the remaining people in Aleppo removed by Wednesday.

meanwhile, Hezbollah threatened Tuesday to attack the last rebel-held area of Aleppo. it says Syrian forces have issued their final call for people to leave the area in the city's eastern districts that remain under control of opposition troops.

also, the foreign ministers of Russia,Turkey and iran met in moscow to draft a proposal that russia says amounts to a blueprint for a cease-fire in Syria and potentially an end to the war.

This is VOA news.