Zurich police investigate possible Swiss links to Vienna attacks
The Zurich cantonal police have created a "Vienna" taskforce to investigate possible links between Switzerland and the attack in Vienna.
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The Zurich cantonal police have arrested two men over suspected ties to the deadly attacks in Vienna that took place on Monday evening
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Investigan en Zúrich posible nexo con ataque en Viena
The arrests came after both federal and cantonal authorities announced they were investigating possible Swiss ties to the attacks.
“Concerning the attack in Vienna, Fedpol [Federal Police] and the Federal Intelligence Service are currently examining possible links with Switzerland, in close collaboration with the cantonal and Austrian authorities,” a spokeswoman for the intelligence services, Isabelle Graber, told the Agence France-Presse.
Just prior to this the Zurich cantonal police announced that they had formed a “ViennaExternal link” taskforce to “among other things, check whether the crimes committed in Vienna have a connection with the canton of Zurich”.
The investigation led to the arrest of two men – an 18-year-old and a 24-year-old – in Winterthur northeast of the city of Zurich on Tuesday afternoon.
“The extent to which there was a connection between the two people arrested and the alleged assassin is currently the subject of ongoing clarifications and investigations,” the cantonal police said in a written statementExternal link.
The arrests were made in coordination with the Austrian authorities, the Zurich cantonal police and the Winterthur police.
The attack took place on Monday evening when a gunman reportedly opened fire at six locations near a synagogue in central Vienna. Five people died, including one of the attackers. Several people were seriously injured. Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer described the dead gunman as an Islamist terrorist. The search for suspects is underway.
The Zurich cantonal police said that they have also bolstered security measures in Jewish communities in the canton.
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