Swiss police end hostage crisis on train, no terrorism link found
Swiss police successfully ended hostage situation on train near Yverdon-les-Bains by fatally shooting the assailant
A tense hostage situation on a train in Switzerland ended late Thursday night when police fatally shot a 32-year-old Iranian asylum seeker who had taken 15 passengers and the driver hostage.
The incident, unfolding near Yverdon-les-Bains in the canton of Vaud, has been declared by police as not linked to terrorism.
The standoff began around 6:35 p.m. when the man, armed with an axe and a knife, commandeered a local train. The assailant forced the driver to stop at the Essert-sous-Champvent station and join the other passengers in a carriage, effectively locking everyone inside. Over 60 officers, including a special unit from Geneva, surrounded the train.
Negotiations, conducted via WhatsApp with a Farsi translator, continued for hours but failed to yield a peaceful resolution. Jean-Christophe Sauterel, the police spokesperson, stated, “Nothing points us towards a terrorist act.” This statement was reiterated on Friday, distancing the incident from any terrorism-related motives.
The police operation to free the hostages involved using stun grenades and explosives as distractions. When the hostage-taker attacked the police with his axe, they responded with lethal force, shooting him dead. The hostages, fortunately, were released unharmed and received immediate psychological support.
