Swiss victim Terrorist motive suspected after knife attack in Rotterdam
The knife attack in the Netherlands with one fatality probably has a terrorist background. The 22-year-old man arrested is suspected of "murder and attempted murder with a terrorist motive", the public prosecutor's office announced.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- According to the public prosecutor's office, the fatal knife attack in the center of Rotterdam was an Islamist attack.
- Investigators assumed that the 22-year-old suspect from Amersfoort had a "terrorist motive", the Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday.
According to the police, the man had attacked passers-by with a knife in the port city of Rotterdam on Thursday evening. One person was killed and another seriously injured in the incident.
According to the preliminary state of the investigation, the crime was "possibly ideologically motivated" according to the public prosecutor's office. The suspect had shouted "Allahu Akbar" several times. However, the public prosecutor's office emphasized that other motives were also being investigated.
The alleged perpetrator comes from Amersfoort, around 80 kilometers east of Rotterdam. He has a criminal record for violent crimes, the public prosecutor's office announced. The victim was a 32-year-old man. A 33-year-old man from Switzerland was seriously injured. According to the public prosecutor's office, he has since been able to leave the hospital.
Fitness trainer disarms the attacker
Some Islamist extremists use the phrase "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) as a battle cry. In doing so, they virtually hijack the central religious formula of Islam, which has been used by Muslims worldwide for centuries.
The incident took place in the late evening near the Erasmus Bridge in the city center. According to witnesses, a 32-year-old fitness trainer overpowered and disarmed the man. He stated that the attacker had two long knives with him.
SDA