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3 people injured in attack by armed man on Amsterdam-Paris train

Friday, 21 August 2015 5:37 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 21 August 2015 11:01 PM ]

Train personnel of French national railway operator SNCF stand next to Thalys trains at the main train station in Arras, northern France, on August 21, 2015. (AFP)

An armed man has attacked people on board a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, injuring three.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon (1600 GMT) at the rear of a high-speed Thalys train near the northern French city of Arras.

The 26-year-old assailant, who was carrying a knife, a handgun and cartridges in addition to his Kalashnikov rifle, was reportedly taken down by two off-duty US marines who were onboard the train and was taken into custody after the train pulled into the Arras station. According to local sources, the gunman, whose identity has not yet been announced, is either from Morocco or of Moroccan origin and is known to French intelligent services.

Two of the victims, an American and a Briton, were seriously injured. The third victim, French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, was slightly injured when he was trying to break the glass to sound the alarm.

According to Pentagon, the American victim was a US military member. “We are aware of the reports and can only confirm that one military member was injured in the incident,” Pentagon spokesman Commander William Urban said.

Police have arrived to inspect the crime scene inside a Thalys train of French national railway operator SNCF at the main train station in Arras, northern France, on August 21, 2015. (AFP)

“The situation is under control, the travelers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site,” the Thalys official Twitter account tweeted.

French President Francois Hollande, on a tweet, also expressed his “solidarity” with the injured, adding “everything is being done to shed light on this tragedy.”

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has also traveled to Arras.

The motive of the attacker is not known yet and the French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre Henry Brandet says “talking about a terrorist motive would be premature at the moment”.

However, Belgian Prime minister Charles Michel has called the train shooting a “terrorist attack”.

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