By Dharmesh Prajapati

Three people were injured in a knife attack at a busy train station in the Swiss city of Winterthur on Thursday morning, with eyewitnesses reporting that the suspect repeatedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault before being arrested by police.

The attack took place shortly after 8:30 am local time at Winterthur station, located near Zurich in northeastern Switzerland. Zurich cantonal police said a 31-year-old Swiss national was taken into custody at the scene and that the motive behind the attack remains under investigation.

The three victims aged 28, 43 and 52 were transported to hospital for treatment after suffering injuries in the stabbing incident, authorities said.

Videos circulating online showed scenes of panic outside the station as commuters and bystanders fled the area. Footage shared by Swiss politician Nils Fiechter appeared to show a dishevelled man running through the street with one hand raised while shouting “Allahu Akbar,” as frightened schoolchildren were hurried away from the scene.

“THIS IS NO LONGER OUR SWITZERLAND!!! An Islamist #attacker shouts «Allahu Akbar» and stabs passersby with a knife at the #Winterthur train station—right in front of a school class with small children. Horrific. Anyone who loves #Switzerland doesn’t accept this!” Fiechter said in a post on X.

Eyewitnesses said a teacher attempted to shield a group of kindergarten children as the attack unfolded near the station concourse.

Police cordoned off large sections of the station while emergency responders treated the injured and forensic teams examined the scene. Images from local media showed a heavy police presence around the transport hub.

Authorities have not officially classified the attack as terrorism, and investigators are continuing to examine the suspect’s background and possible motive.

Winterthur, Switzerland’s sixth-largest city, lies around 25 kilometres northeast of Zurich and serves as a major commuter and railway hub.