World

A 19-year-old Afghan man is scheduled to appear in a Dutch court after allegedly stabbing two American citizens at Amsterdam's central train station in a suspected “terrorist” attack.

Amsterdam police said the suspect, identified only as Jawed S., "will appear before a judge [on September 3] and until then no further details will be released."

The two American males were seriously injured on August 31 when a man with a knife attacked people in the crowded train station near Amsterdam’s city center.

Police at the station quickly shot the man in the lower body. He was taken to the hospital, as were the two injured men.

Thousands of commuters and tourists were evacuated from the train station after the attack. The site is a major hub for international tourists visiting Amsterdam.

"Following an initial statement by the suspect, it has emerged that the man had a terrorist motive," Amsterdam City Hall said after police questioned the suspect.

The authorities said Jawed S. has a German residency permit and that German police raided his apartment on September 2. Police did not reveal the location of the residence.

Based on reporting by AFP and Channel News Asia

Dutch police on September 1 said they were investigating a double stabbing at Amsterdam's crowded Central Station as a suspected terror attack.

The assailant, who stabbed two people before being shot by police, was identified as a 19-year-old Afghan man with a German residency permit.

Witnesses described scenes of panic shortly after midday as gunshots rang out and thousands of commuters and tourists were evacuated from the rail terminal, which hosts about 250,000 travelers a day.

Police spokesman Rob van der Veen said the two people who were stabbed were "very badly injured, and they were brought to the hospital."

"We are looking at all scenarios, also the worst scenario, which is terrorism," he said.

The Netherlands has so far been spared from a series of terror attacks which have hit neighboring countries France, Belgium, and England in recent years.

Dutch police declined to speculate on the reasons for the stabbings, but the Afghan Taliban on August 30 called for attacks on Dutch troops because of plans by a Dutch far-right politician to stage a Prophet Muhammad cartoon competition -- an event which was cancelled hours after the Taliban announcement.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP