Angela Merkel says it would be 'hard for us all to bear' if Berlin attacker were a Syrian refugee

In a statement about Monday's truck attack on the Berlin Christmas market that has claimed 12 lives, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that it was likely motivated by terrorism. Then she added that it would be "hard for us all to bear" if the attacker was discovered to be an "asylum-seeker," a euphemism for "Syrian refugee."

Watch her comments below:

The comments will likely inflame some of her detractors who blame her for the crimes being committed in Germany by the Syrian refugees that she enthusiastically welcomed. The resultant surge of migrants from Syria and other Muslim countries have impacted all of Europe, taxing refugee social services and turning the populace toward right-wing politicians who promise to stem the migrant flow. Merkel has recently shown signs of turning against her previous pro-migrant position.

The authorities investigating the Berlin attack believed they had captured a suspect, a refugee from Pakistan, but they released him after a lack of evidence linking him to the killings. The terrorist group ISIS has claimed responsibility, but authorities have not yet determined a motive.