Swiss authorities have described the knife attack that occurred this Thursday at a train station in the city of Winterthur, near Zurich, which left at least three injured, as a "terrorist act."
In a press conference, the head of Security for the canton of Zurich, Mario Fehr, described the incident as a "terrorist act" with a religious background, after the alleged attacker was identified as a 31-year-old man with dual Swiss and Turkish nationality. The man was already known to the police for his association with the An Nur mosque, which was closed ten years ago due to its ties to radical Islamist circles.
After spending the last few years residing in Turkey, the suspect recently returned to Swiss territory. Days ago, he contacted security forces and made "incoherent statements," for which reason he was referred to a psychiatric hospital, where he remained admitted until this Wednesday. At that time, his release was authorized as it was deemed that he posed no risk to himself or others, according to public broadcaster SRF.
In an official statement, the cantonal police of Zurich specified that the incident occurred around 8:30 AM at the Winterthur train station and stated that "the three injured are Swiss citizens aged 28, 43, and 52." "All of them have been hospitalized," the police force added.
Several Swiss media outlets have suggested that the attacker shouted 'Allahu Akbar' -- God is the greatest, in Arabic -- during the assault, although police authorities have chosen not to confirm or deny this detail for now.