Knife attack at Switzerland train station leaves three hospitalised, suspect who shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ held

Three people were injured in a stabbing attack at a railway station in Winterthur on Tuesday morning, Swiss police said, adding that a suspect had been arrested shortly after the incident.

Police said the victims, Swiss nationals aged 28, 43 and 52, sustained injuries in the attack and were admitted to hospital for treatment.

Authorities identified the suspect as a 31-year-old Swiss man who allegedly used a bladed weapon during the assault.

Officials said the motive behind the attack remains under investigation.

According to local media reports, the incident took place at around 8.30 am local time at Winterthur railway station.

An eyewitness working in a nearby office building told a local newspaper that he heard a man shouting “Allahu Akbar”, an Arabic phrase meaning “God is greatest”,  before attacking people with a knife.

Local reports said a group of schoolchildren was passing through the area at the time of the attack, and a teacher was seen standing in front of the children in an apparent attempt to shield them.

Another eyewitness, a taxi driver, told Zurich-based newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung that the attacker had been moving through the station underpass targeting people.

Photographs published by Swiss media outlets showed several sections around the railway station cordoned off by police following the attack.

Police have not yet confirmed whether the incident was terror-related.