An Iranian-born man with a knife injured 10 people in an attack aboard a bus in northern Germany before being overpowered by passengers and arrested by police, the local prosecutor said.

The authorities on July 20 said there was no information on the motive for the attack on a local bus in the northern city of Luebeck. They added they had no immediate indication the suspect had any links to terrorism or had been radicalized.

Officials originally said 14 people had been injured but later reduced the number. At least three were listed in serious condition.

A spokeswoman for the Luebeck prosecutor's office said the 34-year-old suspect was born in Iran but that he was a longtime Luebeck resident with German citizenship. Authorities in Germany generally do not release the names of criminal suspects.

The man has refused to speak to investigators and is scheduled to appear in court on July 21, officials said.

The prosecutor’s office said the incident began when the attacker set fire to a backpack on the bus.

The driver said he stopped the bus after seeing smoke and was attacked by the suspect.

As the assailant left the bus, he stabbed several people with a 13-centimeter kitchen knife, the driver said.

Passengers then overpowered the man outside the bus and held him for police.

Investigators said flammable liquid was found in the backpack but no explosives.

Luebeck is near the Baltic coast and northeast of Hamburg.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP</s>A man apparently armed with a knife attacked passengers on a busy bus in the northern German city of Luebeck on Friday before being overpowered and arrested, authorities said, and nine people were reportedly injured.

Authorities had no immediate information on the assailant's motive for the attack on a city bus in Luebeck, which is near the Baltic coast northeast of Hamburg.

Local newspaper Luebecker Nachrichten, which said the attacker appeared to be in his mid-30s, quoted a witness as saying: "One of the victims had just given up his place to an older woman, when the attacker stabbed him in the chest."

Firefighters attend to passengers injured during the attack. At least one person sustained serious injuries. (TNN/dpa/The Associated Press)

Earlier, police in Schleswig-Holstein, the state where Luebeck is located, tweeted there was a major police deployment underway. An area around a bus stop in the Luebeck neighbourhood of Kuecknitz was sealed off by police, spokesperson Dierk Duerbook told German newspaper Bild.

A spokesperson for prosecutors, Ulla Hingst, told n-tv television that the bus driver stopped the vehicle and let the passengers out after the attack. She said the weapon that the assailant apparently used was a knife, but that is still under investigation.

Hingst told Bild the attack took place at 1.47 p.m. local time.

Experts were also examining a backpack on the bus as a precaution. Hingst said it wasn't clear whether it belonged to the suspect, but said there had been reports of smoke coming out of the backpack. Police and prosecutors later said in a joint statement that investigators found a flammable substance in the backpack, but no explosives.

Suspect identified

They said that the suspect was identified as a 34-year-old German citizen who lives in Luebeck. His name wasn't released, in line with German privacy rules.



"There are no indications that the man was politically radicalized," the statement added. "There are also no indications at present of a terrorist background."

Passengers get onto a replacement bus after the attack, which took place on a busy bus in the Kuecknitz district of Luebeck. (Felix Koenig/EPA)

Schleswig-Holstein's state interior minister, Hans-Joachim Grote, said his information was that nine people were injured — six with the knife, two passengers who fell and the driver, who was punched.

Police said in a statement released at the same time that one of the injured was seriously hurt, but said the total number of injured wasn't initially clear.

The bus was travelling from Luebeck to the neighbouring seaside resort of Travemuende, where an annual regatta, the Travemuender Woche, was opening later Friday.

Grote said authorities believe security for the regatta is sufficient.</s>Image copyright AFP Image caption A bus sits at the side of the road in Lübeck after a knife attack

A man armed with a knife has attacked passengers on a bus in the northern German city of Lübeck, wounding several people, one seriously, police say.

A 34-year-old local man was arrested and taken into custody. Police said there was no indication the suspect had been politically radicalised.

They said on Twitter that 10 people were known to have been hurt. Local media reports put the number at 14.

An area around a bus stop in the city's Kücknitz neighbourhood was sealed off.

Police said a smoking backpack was found in the bus, containing a "fire accelerant" but no explosives.

Image caption Police declared a "major operation"

"The exact number of injured is still unclear. There were no dead," police said in a statement. "The background to the crime is still unclear and is the subject of the ongoing investigation."

The statement added: "The identity of the perpetrator has been clarified: a 34-year-old German citizen resident in Lübeck. There are currently no indications the man was political radicalised and no signs of a terrorist background."

The attack took place at 13:47 local time (11:47 GMT). An eyewitness told the local Lübecker Nachrichten newspaper that a passenger had just given up his seat for an older woman, when the attacker stabbed him in the chest.

The bus driver pulled over to the side of the road and passengers fled. Police said the suspect was overpowered by officers at the scene.

In April, a man drove a camper van into a group of people outside a restaurant in the German city of Münster, killing two people before shooting himself dead.

Police said there was no link to terrorism in that case.

In Berlin in December 2016, a Tunisian who had links to Islamist militants hijacked a truck and ploughed into a Christmas marketplace, killing 12 people.</s>Eight people are reported to have been injured after a man armed with a knife attacked passengers on a bus in the northern German city of Luebeck.

Eight people are reported to have been injured after a man armed with a knife attacked passengers on a bus in the northern German city of Luebeck.

Man arrested after eight hurt in knife attack on bus in northern Germany

The suspect was overpowered and arrested after the incident on the busy service north-east of Hamburg, near the Baltic coast.

Details of what exactly happened are sketchy, and authorities had no immediate information on the assailant’s motive.

A spokeswoman for prosecutors, Ulla Hingst, told n-tv television that the bus driver stopped the vehicle and let the passengers out after the attack. She said the weapon that the assailant apparently used was a knife, although that is still under investigation.

Experts were also examining a backpack on the bus as a precaution.

Ms Hingst said it was not clear whether the luggage belonged to the suspect, but said there had been reports of smoke coming out of the backpack.

She said the identity of the suspect, who was being questioned by police, has yet to be confirmed.

“The background to this act is completely unclear,” she said.

“We are investigating in all directions. We cannot currently rule anything out.”

German news agency dpa quoted police as saying that three people received “medium-serious” injuries in the incident, while five others received minor injuries.

Ms Hingst said the total number of injuries was not clear, but said there was one serious injury.</s>At least eight people have reportedly been wounded, two of them seriously, in a knife attack on a bus in Germany.

At least eight people have reportedly been wounded, two of them seriously, in a knife attack on a bus in Germany.

At least eight injured in knife attack on bus in Germany

A suspect - believed to be in his mid-30s - was arrested after the stabbings in the northern city of Luebeck on Friday afternoon. The motive is unclear.

The packed bus was heading in the direction of Travemuende, a popular beach, when a man pulled a weapon on passengers, according to local media.

The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, local newspaper Luebecker Nachrichten reported.

A police crew that happened to be nearby was able to get to the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the suspect.

"The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming," said Lothar H, a witness who lives close to the scene.

"It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife."

Police spokesman Duerk Duerbrook said the attack happened in the Kuecknitz district of Luebeck - around 40 miles northeast of Hamburg.

He said authorities were still trying to determine the circumstances of the attack.

The force described it as a "major police deployment", adding that there had been no fatalities.

"There is currently a major police deployment in Luebeck," the police force wrote on Twitter. We are examining the situation and will give more information later."

While the motive has not been established, Germany has been on high alert after several deadly Islamist extremist attacks.</s>BERLIN >> A man armed with a kitchen knife attacked passengers today on a crowded city bus in northern Germany before being overpowered and arrested, authorities said. Ten people were injured, three of them seriously.</s>A man armed with a kitchen knife attacked passengers Friday on a crowded city bus in northern Germany before being overpowered and arrested, authorities said. Ten people were injured, three of them seriously.

Authorities had no immediate information on the assailant’s motive for the afternoon attack on a city bus in Luebeck, near the Baltic coast northeast of Hamburg, but said they had no indication that he was politically radicalized or had any terrorist background.

Investigators found a flammable substance in a backpack aboard the bus, but no explosives.

The incident started when the assailant set fire to the backpack, prosecutor Ulla Hingst said at a Friday evening news conference in Luebeck.

The driver told investigators that he stopped the bus and opened all the doors to let passengers out after noticing the fire in his rear-view mirror.

He then walked back to find out what was going on and was hit by the assailant, Hingst said. As the suspect left the bus, he stabbed people around him with a 13-centimeter (5-inch) kitchen knife. The attacker was overpowered by passengers outside the vehicle, then quickly arrested by police nearby.

Five of the victims were still hospitalized Friday evening.

The suspect is a 34-year-old man who lives locally. Hingst said he is a longtime German citizen who was born in Iran.

“There are no indications that the man was in any way politically radicalized,” Hingst said. “For that reason we have, as the investigation currently stands, no indications that there was a terrorist background to this act.”

She added the motive is “still open” and “we are investigating in all directions.”

Prosecutors will seek to have the man kept in custody pending possible charges of bodily harm and attempted arson, Hingst said.

The bus was traveling from Luebeck to the neighboring seaside resort of Travemuende, where an annual regatta, the Travemuender Woche, was opening later Friday.

Schleswig-Holstein’s state interior minister, Hans-Joachim Grote, said there was no reason to believe that there was an increased risk to the regatta but police presence there was stepped up as a precaution.</s>File: A knife attacker on Germany bus arrested and several people were injured. Photo: Pixabay

BERLIN – Several people were injured Friday in an attack by a man wielding a knife on a bus in northern Germany, officials said Friday, although his motive remained unclear.

The packed bus was heading in the direction of Travemuende, a popular beach destination close to the city of Luebeck, when a man pulled a weapon on passengers, local media Luebecker Nachrichten reported, quoting an unnamed witness.

The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, the daily said on its website.

"The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming. It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife," a witness who lives close to the scene, Lothar H., told the daily.

An unnamed female passenger on the bus said one of those injured had only just given up his seat to an elderly woman, "when the perpetrator stabbed him in the chest."

A police car which happened to be close by arrived at the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the assailant, added the report.

Confirming that a man went at fellow passengers on the bus with a knife, Luebeck chief prosecutor Ursula Hingst added: "We will not release information on the identity of the man nor the motive of the act."

Police from the state of Schleswig-Holstein meanwhile said on Twitter that "people were injured. No one was killed. The perpetrator was overpowered and is now in police custody."

According to Luebecker Nachrichten, an attacker is an Iranian man in his mid-30s.

While neither the motive nor full identity of the perpetrator have been established, Germany has been on high alert after several deadly Islamist extremist attacks.</s>Confirming that a man went at fellow passengers on the bus with a knife, Luebeck chief prosecutor Ursula Hingst adds: 'We will not release information on the identity of the man nor the motive of the act'

BERLIN, Germany – Several people were injured on Friday, July 20, in an attack by a man wielding a knife on a bus in northern Germany, officials said, although his motive remained unclear.

The packed bus was heading in the direction of Travemuende, a popular beach destination close to the city of Luebeck, when a man pulled a weapon on passengers, local media Luebecker Nachrichten reported, quoting an unnamed witness.

The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, the daily said on its website.

"The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming. It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife," a witness who lives close to the scene, Lothar H., told the daily.

An unnamed female passenger on the bus said one of those injured had only just given up his seat to an elderly woman, "when the perpetrator stabbed him in the chest."

A police car which happened to be close by arrived at the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the assailant, added the report.

Confirming that a man went at fellow passengers on the bus with a knife, Luebeck chief prosecutor Ursula Hingst added: "We will not release information on the identity of the man nor the motive of the act."

Police from the state of Schleswig-Holstein meanwhile said on Twitter that "people were injured. No one was killed. The perpetrator was overpowered and is now in police custody."

According to Luebecker Nachrichten, the attacker is an Iranian man in his mid-30s.

While neither the motive nor full identity of the perpetrator have been established, Germany has been on high alert after several deadly Islamist extremist attacks.

It had long warned of the threat of more violence after several attacks claimed by the Islamic State group (ISIS), the bloodiest of which was a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead.

The attacker, Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri, hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through the festive market in central Berlin.

He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run.

Germany has since been targeted again in attacks with radical Islamist motives.

In July 2017, a 26-year-old Palestinian asylum seeker wielding a knife stormed into a supermarket in the northern port city of Hamburg, killing one person and wounding six others before being detained by passers-by.

German prosecutors said the man likely had a "radical Islamist" motive.

ISIS also claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in 2016, including the murder of a teenager in Hamburg, a suicide bombing in the southern city of Ansbach that wounded 15, and an axe attack on a train in Bavaria that left five injured.

In June, German police said they foiled what would have been the first biological attack with the arrest of a Tunisian suspected jihadist in possession of the deal poison ricin and bomb-making material.

Germany remains a target for jihadist groups, in particular because of its involvement in the coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, and its deployment in Afghanistan since 2001.

Security services estimate there are around 11,000 Islamic radicals in Germany, some 980 who are deemed particularly dangerous and capable of using violence. A hundred and fifty of these potentially dangerous individuals have been detained for various offences.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has allowed in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015 – a decision that has driven the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which charges that the influx spells a heightened security risk. – Rappler.com</s>Several people were injured Friday in an attack by a man wielding a knife on a bus in northern Germany, officials said Friday, although his motive remained unclear.

The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing passengers to escape, the daily said on its website.

"The passengers jumped out of the bus and were screaming. It was terrible. Then the injured were brought out. The perpetrator had a kitchen knife," a witness who lives close to the scene, Lothar H., told the daily.

An unnamed female passenger on the bus said one of those injured had only just given up his seat to an elderly woman, "when the perpetrator stabbed him in the chest."

A police car which happened to be close by arrived at the scene quickly, allowing officers to detain the assailant, added the report.

Confirming that a man went at fellow passengers on the bus with a knife, Luebeck chief prosecutor Ursula Hingst added: "We will not release information on the identity of the man nor the motive of the act."

Police from the state of Schleswig-Holstein meanwhile said on Twitter that "people were injured. No one was killed. The perpetrator was overpowered and is now in police custody."

According to Luebecker Nachrichten, the attacker is an Iranian man in his mid-30s.

While neither the motive nor full identity of the perpetrator have been established, Germany has been on high alert after several deadly extremist attacks.
A man attacks people on a bus in Lübeck, Germany, prompting an evacuation of the vehicle. Six people are hurt by a knife, one is punched and two fall down; three are critically wounded. Police find a smoldering non-explosive backpack at the scene. The Iranian-born suspect is arrested.