Knife attack on German train leaves one dead and two injured

Police say officer appears to have fired pistol after altercation on train in Flensburg

Flensburg's main train station has reportedly been evacuated following the incident (EPA)

One man has been killed and two other people injured following a knife attack on a train in northern Germany, police say.

Federal police said the incident took place in the city of Flensburg at around 7pm local time on Wednesday evening on a train that had reportedly travelled from Cologne.

A statement released by the force did not disclose a detailed version of events, but revealed on of the injured was a 22-year-old female police officer.

However, police did say the officer had fired her pistol during the incident, suggesting she may have killed the man.

German tabloid Bild reported that following a dispute, one man attacked another man with a knife and then a police officer who was called to intervene.

The German news agency DPA reported the Flensburg main train station had been evacuated and service to the city had been interrupted temporarily.

Authorities have yet to announce whether or not the incident is being treated as terror-related.

On 19 December 2016, a lorry was driven into a crowd at a Christmas market in central Berlin causing 12 deaths and a number of injuries. It followed a suicide bombing in Ansbach on 24 July 2016 which injured 15 people.

The Foreign Office warns: “Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Germany. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in public places visited by foreigners.

“The German government has announced that increased security has been put in place as a precaution at public buildings, major events, transport hubs and large public gatherings.”

Additional reporting by AP