A Dutch judge has ordered a 19-year-old Afghan man held for a further two weeks on suspicion of stabbing two U.S. citizens at Amsterdam's main train station in a suspected terrorist attack.
Following a behind-closed-doors hearing, the judge extended the suspect's custody because of fears he may flee, repeat the crime, or violate the law, an Amsterdam court said on September 3.
The statement did not release further details of the case.
Two American tourists were seriously injured on August 31 when the suspect, identified only as Jawed S., attacked people with a knife 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. had a German residency permit and that German police raided his apartment on September 2. Police did not reveal the location of the residence.
German Interior Ministry spokesman Harald Neymanns on September 3 said the suspect was registered as an asylum seeker in Germany.
Neymanns also said that German police had no information that he was considered a threat to security.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Channel News Asia
