Switzerland: a man injures three people with a knife in a station near Zurich, the authorities speak of a “terrorist act”

A 31-year-old Swiss man stabbed three people Thursday morning at Winterthur station, near Zurich, before being arrested by the police, the cantonal police announced. “Shortly after 8:30 a.m. (6:30 a.m. GMT), a man stabbed three people at Winterthur station. The alleged perpetrator, a 31-year-old Swiss man, was arrested by the police.announced the cantonal police of Zurich in a press release. The Swiss authorities speak of a “terrorist act”.

All three victims were taken to hospital

The police specified that “the motivations for the attack are the subject of an investigation”but the same images broadcast by several Swiss media and social networks show the alleged attacker, a man with long brown hair dressed in a dark t-shirt and shorts, running in front of the station shouting «Allah Akbar». In these images filmed remotely on the telephone, the bearded man with long brown hair dressed in a dark t-shirt and shorts walks past a group of young children and their supervisors on a school trip without stopping. Several witnesses cited by the Swiss media indicated that he was equipped with a knife.

Skip the ad

“The three victims, of Swiss nationality, are aged 28, 43 and 52 years old. They were all taken to hospital.”continued the police, without giving any indication of the seriousness of their injuries.

“In collaboration with the cantonal police of Zurich, the municipal police of Winterthur, the transport police of the SBB (Federal Railways, editor’s note), the emergency service of the cantonal hospital of Winterthur and the protection and rescue service of Zurich, measures have been put in place”added the police without providing further details. On site, several police cordons were deployed at several locations inside and outside the station, according to images published by local media.

For its part, CFF management indicated to AFP that this attack had not caused any disruption to rail traffic. Attacks targeting passers-by are rare in Switzerland, where stabbing attacks are generally more linked to crime and personal conflicts. Winterthur, Switzerland’s sixth largest city, is located about 25 km northeast of Zurich. It is considered one of the country’s centers of industry, with several large companies having established their headquarters there.