Germany train attack: Five people injured as knifeman stabs passengers and police probe ‘terror link’

Suspect, 31, overpowered by passengers while travelling on railway in far west of country

Germany’s interior minister said the suspect, pictured in a full body suit, was already known to authorities (AP)

German police are investigating after five train passengers were injured in an apparent random knife attack on Friday morning, which detectives said may be linked to Islamist terrorism.

The train was traveling near the city of Aachen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the far west of the country, at around 7.40am local time when a man began attacking fellow passengers “randomly and arbitrarily”, state interior minister Herbert Reul said.

An Iraqi-born man has been arrested in connection with the attack.

Police said the 31-year-old suspect had been overpowered by a police officer who happened to be on the train, and two other passengers.

The unnamed officer said: “I was on my way to work, that’s all I can say.”

Five people plus the attacker were wounded but only four needed hospital treatment and were being looked after locally. None of them were said to be in a critical condition although some had sustained cuts to their hands and faces.

Mr Reul said it was a “gruesome crime that was stopped in an enormous act of courage”.

The interior minister added that the suspect was already known to authorities, reportedly since 2017. However, he added that authorities have not confirmed that the suspect had an Islamist motive for the attack. 

Photographs from the scene showed officers leading away a man dressed in white full body suit, which police said was used to preserve evidence.

Police officers standing in front of a regional train in Herzogenrath (AP)

There were about 270 passengers on the regional train which was close to the town of Herzogenrath on the border with the Netherlands at the time of the attack.

The track has been closed while investigations continue and around 200 officers were at the scene.