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Swiss police say knife attack at station that injured 3 was act of terrorism
Police say they have arrested the alleged perpetrator, a 31-year-old dual Swiss-Turkish national, from Winterthur
- PUBLISHED: Thu 28 May 2026, 7:57 PM
A knife attack at a Swiss train station that left three people injured was an act of terrorism, police said on Thursday, after arresting a suspect who had previously been reported for spreading Daesh propaganda.
Police said they had arrested the alleged perpetrator, a 31-year-old dual Swiss-Turkish national, from Winterthur, a city to the north of Zurich. The attack took place at around 0630 GMT.
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Mario Fehr, security director for the canton of Zurich, described the attack as "a vile terrorist act which I believe was handled very well by the police, who were able to prevent something even worse from happening."
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Fehr, speaking at a press conference, praised a teacher who stood in front of her pupils to protect them before the man was arrested.
"There were various brave people," Fehr said, including the teacher who "behaved in an exemplary fashion".
Zurich cantonal police commandant Marius Weyermann said the suspect had previously been reported to the police in 2015 for spreading propaganda from the hardline militant group Daesh.
"The motive for this act must be sought in the area of radicalisation and extremism," Weyermann said.
The three victims of the attack were receiving hospital care, according to the police. One person was stabbed in the leg, another in the neck, while a third man was stabbed in the thigh.
The injured were taken to hospital, with the third man needing emergency surgery for his injuries, Weyermann said.