Dutch police were investigating Saturday a suspected terror attack at Amsterdam’s Central Station, in which two people were stabbed before the knifeman was shot by police.
The assailant was identified as a 19-year-old Afghan man with a German residency permit.
“We are seriously taking into account that there was a terrorist motive,” Amsterdam police spokesman Frans Zuiderhoek told AFP.
Earlier witnesses described scenes of panic as gunshots rang out and thousands of commuters and tourists were evacuated from the rail terminus shortly after midday.
“A man in the west side tunnel of Amsterdam Central Station stabbed two other people and directly after that he was shot by the police,” another police spokesman Rob van der Veen said, adding terrorism was not being ruled out by investigators.
“The two people are very badly injured, and they were brought to the hospital,” he said. “We are looking at all scenarios, also the worst scenario, which is terrorism.”
Police quickly arrived at the scene with video images showing police ordering the suspect in English to “stay down” after he had been shot.
Images posted on social media showed security guards ushering passengers toward exits and paramedics arriving at the scene with stretchers.
Police spokesman Zuiderhoek said the knifeman’s condition was not life-threatening, but that he had been shot in the lower body.
“At this moment he is under police custody in hospital. He is being questioned about his motive,” Zuiderhoek added.
Dutch police were also in close contact with their German counterparts in regards to the suspect’s background, he added.
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