There is no evidence to support "a terrorist act" after the spectacular hostage-taking on a train Thursday evening in Switzerland by an Iranian national, police said on Friday.
“No evidence points us towards a terrorist or jihadist act,” the spokesperson for the Vaud cantonal police, Jean-Christophe Sauterel, told the Keystone-ATS agency, adding that investigations are continuing.
According to the Tribune de Genève, in a video filmed by a passenger, the hostage-taker explained in a disjointed manner that he did not want to stay in Switzerland to leave for England.
He also talks about Ukraine.
This hostage taking began on Thursday around 6:35 p.m. and ended around 10:30 p.m.
The author, a 32-year-old Iranian suspected asylum seeker in Switzerland, first forced the driver of the train stopped at Essert-sous-Champvent station near Yverdon not far from Lake Neuchâtel before take 14 passengers and the driver hostage.
Explosions to divert his attention
The police were alerted by the hostages and the first negotiations with the suspect took place partly via Whatsapp messaging and through an interpreter speaking Farsi, the majority language in Iran.
The authorities finally made the decision to attack.
The individual who was armed with an ax and a knife was shot dead by a police officer as he rushed towards him.
Previously, the intervention group had managed to board the train by managing to interpose themselves between the attacker and the hostages.
To achieve this, the police detonated devices to distract the kidnapper's attention.
#suisse #yverdon #prisedotage pic.twitter.com/RHPwaDGgvd
— hasanml (@Xilifok) February 8, 2024
In Switzerland, hostage-taking is rare.
The last ones to hit the headlines had villainous motivations.
Thus in January 2022, thugs took a couple and two employees of a company hostage to gain access to the vaults where precious metals were stored, but they ultimately fled without their loot.
In November 2021, a director of a watch company was taken hostage at his home with members of his family.
After stealing gold from his company, the six hostage-takers fled to neighboring France.