German police are investigating after five passengers on the train were injured in an apparently accidental knife attack on Friday morning, which detectives say may be linked to Islamist terrorism.
The train was traveling near the city of Aachen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the far west of the country, around 7.40 am local time, when a man began attacking other passengers “accidentally and arbitrarily”, said Interior Minister Herbert Reul.
An Iraqi-born man has been arrested in connection with the attack.
Police said the 31-year-old suspect was seized by a police officer on board and two other passengers.
An unnamed official said: “I was on my way to work, that’s all I can say.
Five people plus the attacker were injured, but only four needed hospital treatment and were cared for on the spot. None of them are said to be in critical condition, although some have cuts on their arms and faces.
Mr Reul said it was a “terrible crime that was stopped by a huge act of courage”.
The interior minister added that the suspect was already known to authorities, according to reports in 2017. He added, however, that authorities had not confirmed that the suspect had an Islamist motive for the attack.
Photos from the scene show officers taking a man in a white suit who police said was used to preserve evidence.
Police officers standing in front of a regional train in Herzogenrat
(AP)
There were about 270 passengers on the regional train near the town of Herzogenrat on the border with the Netherlands at the time of the attack.
The track is closed while the investigation continues and about 200 employees are on site.
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