Syrian National Injures Four in Grisly Hammer Attack on a Train

Four people were injured in southern Germany after a Syrian national attacked them with a hammer on Thursday.

Law enforcement in Straubing stated the attack happened on a train heading from Hamburg to Vienna, Austria.

From NBC News: 

Police in Straubing said the attack happened on an ICE express train headed from the northern Germany city of Hamburg to the Austrian capital of Vienna while it was between Straubing and Plattling in the southern state of Bavaria.

About 500 people were on board when the attack happened, police said.

About 150 police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed to the scene, police added. The railway line was closed down.

Police initially said the perpetrator used an axe in the attack but later said he allegedly used a hammer and likely other weapons which they did not further name. They identified the man as a 20-year-old Syrian national.

Police did not provide further details on the identity of the attacker or his motive, but later said that he was overpowered by fellow passengers and had also been injured.

The perpetrator “is probably somewhat more seriously injured,” a police spokesperson told German news agency dpa. He was in police custody and receiving medical treatment.

The four injured passengers, who were not identified, were taken to nearby hospitals.

The Washington Post reported that “three of the four injured passengers were also Syrians.”

The Bavarian Red Cross stated that emergency services were notified at approximately 2 p.m. after passengers activated the emergency brakes.

This attack follows a May 18 incident in which a 35-year-old knife-wielding Syrian national stabbed five people outside of a bar in Bielefeld, Germany. The perpetrator allegedly used a knife and cane sword to attack his victims. Bystanders stopped the attack by overpowering the assailant. But the suspect fled the scene. Law enforcement later found the suspect and apprehended him.

Four people were injured in southern Germany after a Syrian national attacked them with a hammer on Thursday.

Law enforcement in Straubing stated the attack happened on a train heading from Hamburg to Vienna, Austria.

From NBC News: 

Police in Straubing said the attack happened on an ICE express train headed from the northern Germany city of Hamburg to the Austrian capital of Vienna while it was between Straubing and Plattling in the southern state of Bavaria.

About 500 people were on board when the attack happened, police said.

About 150 police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed to the scene, police added. The railway line was closed down.

Police initially said the perpetrator used an axe in the attack but later said he allegedly used a hammer and likely other weapons which they did not further name. They identified the man as a 20-year-old Syrian national.

Police did not provide further details on the identity of the attacker or his motive, but later said that he was overpowered by fellow passengers and had also been injured.

The perpetrator “is probably somewhat more seriously injured,” a police spokesperson told German news agency dpa. He was in police custody and receiving medical treatment.

The four injured passengers, who were not identified, were taken to nearby hospitals.

The Washington Post reported that “three of the four injured passengers were also Syrians.”

The Bavarian Red Cross stated that emergency services were notified at approximately 2 p.m. after passengers activated the emergency brakes.

This attack follows a May 18 incident in which a 35-year-old knife-wielding Syrian national stabbed five people outside of a bar in Bielefeld, Germany. The perpetrator allegedly used a knife and cane sword to attack his victims. Bystanders stopped the attack by overpowering the assailant. But the suspect fled the scene. Law enforcement later found the suspect and apprehended him.