Assailant in Swiss knife attack was jihadist, say police
A Swiss woman who knifed a victim in the neck and grabbed another by the throat in a department store in the Swiss city of Lugano on Tuesday was a known jihadist who fell in love with a militant online and tried to meet him in Syria, say police.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Reuters/dos, ug
Español
es
Ataques en Lugano: la autora es yihadista, según la policía
Federal prosecutors have called the incident in the Italian-speaking southern canton of Ticino a suspected terrorist attack and taken charge of the investigation.
“Police investigations in 2017 revealed that the woman had formed a relationship via social media with a jihadist fighter from Syria,” the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) tweeted on Wednesday.
Turkish authorities turned her back from the border to Syria when she tried to travel there to meet the man and returned her to Switzerland at the time, it said.
“The woman was suffering from mental health problems at this time. After returning to Switzerland, she was admitted to a psychiatric clinic,” Fedpol said, adding that she had not come to Fedpol’s attention in any terror-related investigation since 2017.
The suspect, a 28-year-old who lives in the area, was in custody after passersby subdued her until police could arrive. None of the injuries to the victims are life-threatening.
Heightened threat
Fedpol director Nicoletta della Valle told a news conference that it was “too early” to draw any links between the incident in Lugano and other attacks.
Last month, the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) published its annual security report, and said that the terrorist threat in Switzerland was currently heightened, notably in the context of the spate of attacks around other European countries this year.
An investigation is currently underway into the fatal stabbing of a Portuguese national in Morges in western Switzerland in September. If found to be a terrorist act, it would be the first such incident recorded in Switzerland since 2011.
Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga has pledged to support the population in Ticino in a telephone call with the head of the Ticino cantonal government, according to the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose own country was the scene of a deadly jihadist shooting earlier this month, tweeted his condemnation of the attack.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 20km during holiday weekend
This content was published on
The traffic jam at the Gotthard north portal reached a length of 20 kilometres on the motorway between canton Nidwalden and canton Uri.
Swiss Interior Minister visits Cannes Film Festival
This content was published on
Swiss Interior Minister left the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday after three days of intensive dialogue, meetings and film screenings.
Swiss theatre director breaks with tradition at Vienna’s Rathausplatz
This content was published on
With the proclamation of the "Free Republic of Vienna", the start of the festival on Friday evening was unusually political.
Swiss foreign minister backs Berset at Council of Europe
This content was published on
Cassis described Berset as the "ideal candidate" to help the Council realise its aim of ensuring security and peace in Europe.
Gay conversion therapy banned in Swiss canton of Valais
This content was published on
On Thursday, the canton approved a new Health Act which includes a ban on therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity.
This content was published on
Some aspects of pro-Palestine sit-ins have gone too far, but the right to protest and debate must be upheld, the student association has said.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Terror threat remains high in Switzerland, warns Federal Intelligence Service
This content was published on
Terrorist attacks inspired by the Islamic State group remain likely in Europe, with Switzerland not invulnerable to such threats, a new report states.
Four people arrested over suspected terrorism links
This content was published on
Three men and one woman have been arrested in canton Fribourg as part of two criminal investigations into terrorism activities.
‘Switzerland is sending a dangerous signal to the world’
This content was published on
With its new anti-terror legislation Switzerland could provide a model for authoritarian regimes, warns UN human rights expert Fionnuala Ní Aoláin.
This content was published on
The current public discourse on terrorism is extremely dangerous for human rights, writes political scientist Leandra Bias.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.