Trump says Isis must be 'eradicated' after Berlin attack

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday blamed so-called Islamic State for the Berlin truck attack that killed 12 people, saying the terror group should be "eradicated from the face of the earth".

The attack occurred on Monday night when a truck ploughed through a busy Christmas market in Berlin, similar to the attack which took place in Nice, France, earlier this year.

The attacker fled the scene following the incident, with the security forces indicating since that a man they have detained relating to the attack may not be the perpetrator.

"Isis and other Islamist terrorists continually slaughter Christians in their communities and places of worship as part of their global jihad," Trump said in a statement on Monday.

"These terrorists and their regional and worldwide networks must be eradicated from the face of the earth, a mission we will carry out with all freedom-loving partners," he added.

Trump gained an unexpected victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in November's US presidential election, with one of his main campaign promises being an assault on radical Islamic terrorism.

This year has seen a sharp rise in high-profile terror attacks in Europe, with attacks coming in Brussels, Nice, and Turkey among others.

Trump later tweeted that there must be a change in how the subject of security from such attacks is approached.