Swiss federal prosecutors probe terror links to knife attack


ZURICH, May 29 (Reuters) - Swiss ⁠federal prosecutors have taken over the investigation into Thursday's knife ⁠attack at Winterthur railway station and are treating the ‌case as suspected terrorism, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said on Friday.

The federal prosecutor said it had opened criminal proceedings against the suspected attacker on suspicion ​of multiple attempted murder and participation in, ⁠or support for, a terrorist ⁠organisation.

Three Swiss men were injured in the attack which took place ⁠on ‌Thursday morning in Winterthur, a city to the north of Zurich.

One person was stabbed in the leg, another in ⁠the neck, while a third man was stabbed ​in the thigh. ‌All were taken to hospital with the third man needing ⁠emergency surgery for ​his injuries.

Police arrested the alleged perpetrator, a 31-year-old dual Swiss-Turkish national, at the station a few minutes after the first emergency call was ⁠received.

Investigators are now focusing on the motive ​for the attack, including a detailed review of the suspect's background.

The prosecutor's office said its "main hypothesis" was that the attack was suspected terrorism.

The ⁠suspect had previously been reported to the police in 2015 for spreading propaganda from the hardline militant group Islamic State, police said on Thursday.

Swiss newspaper Blick also said it had obtained a video ​showing a man running out of the ⁠concourse of Winterthur station shouting "Allahu Akbar", an Arabic phrase that translates as "God ​is greatest". Reuters did not independently verify ‌the video.

The federal prosecutor on Friday ​said the incident showed jihadist-motivated terrorism remained a serious concern in Switzerland.

(Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Aidan Lewis)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

SADC urged to boost cooperation for regional food security
Zambia launches project to restore degraded ecosystem
South Africa's Woolworths hit by explosive devices amid attacks on shops
Feature: Egyptian, Chinese youth build future dreams through technical exchange
Bulgaria to end US military plane rights at end of June
China's int'l trade promotion body voices opposition to EU's cybersecurity act revision
German unemployment shrinks in May but labor market remains weak
Roundup: Kenya intensifies border response measures against Ebola
World Bank approves 500 mln USD to improve rural roads in Ghana
Britain to step up subsea cable protection on rising Russian threat

Others Also Read