A 35-year-old Afghan man has been arrested after launching a knife attack on three Jehovah's Witnesses at Würzburg Central Station in Bavaria this morning.
He was apprehended just before 8am local time by brave bystanders in the station's entrance hall, where the Christian religious group had set up a stand.
The suspect made repeated “stabbing motions” towards a 68-year-old man before physically assaulting two other victims, aged 51 and 55.
Bystanders bravely intervened to restrain the attacker, with a plainclothes police officer among those who helped overpower the Afghan national.
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A spokesperson for Bavarian Police said: "Several passersby, including a plainclothes police officer, immediately intervened and were able to subdue the 35-year-old."
German Federal Police officers reached the scene moments after the first emergency call was made and placed the suspect under provisional arrest.
Multiple patrols from the local Würzburg police force sped to the station.
The suspect remains in custody following his detention at the scene.
The suspect was arrested after being restrained by brave witnesses and plain clothes officers
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All three victims suffered only minor injuries during the confrontation and did not sustain any cuts or stab wounds.
Bavarian police confirmed the trio were currently receiving care from emergency services.
Würzburg Criminal Police are treating the incident as attempted homicide and have launched a full investigation at the scene.
Officers cordoned off the area surrounding the attack while forensic teams gathered evidence from the entrance hall.
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Investigators are also compiling security camera recordings from throughout the station to piece together the sequence of events.
A search of the suspect's residence is currently underway as detectives work to establish the motive behind the assault.
Police are examining the man's exclamations and gestures during the attack as part of their enquiries into the background of the crime.
Despite the distressing scenes, train services at the station continued to operate without disruption.
Detectives are now appealing for public assistance as they continue their investigation.
Officers are particularly keen to speak with anyone who witnessed the incident in the entrance hall or noticed the suspect beforehand in the station or the nearby Kaiserstraße area.
Police have also asked members of the public to come forward if they observed any statements or gestures made by the man before or during the attack.
Germany’s Jehovah’s Witnesses make up one of Europe's largest communities of the Christian denomination in Germany, with roughly 200,000 members.
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