Heavily armed police used sniffer dogs to search the Church of the Holy Spirit, right by the train station.
Keystone
A young Afghan man threatened to detonate a bomb on Friday afternoon in the Swiss capital’s Church of the Holy Spirit, prompting a five-hour police operation that disrupted traffic around Bern’s main train station, according to a police spokeswoman.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
Español
es
Movilización policial en Berna por alerta de bomba
Speaking after the police operation ended, she said Bern cantonal police had received a bomb alert early in the afternoon saying that a man was behaving strangely in the church.
When they arrived, police found suspicious objects on the 21-year-old man inside. The church was evacuated and the young man was detained for “further clarifications”, according to a police statement in the evening.
It further said two objects were neutralized, namely two components linked by cable that the man was carrying on his person. They have been taken for analysis, which police said would take time.
The area around the church, which sits right next to Bern train station’s main entrance, was sealed off for hours for security reasons. Traffic was unable to move, while certain tram and bus lines were also affected. The main entrance to the station was closed, but without disruption to rail services.
The security cordon was lifted early evening on Friday, but the zone immediately next to the church and the church itself remain closed for purposes of the investigation. Police cannot yet say whether the objects found on the young man in the church presented a real danger to the public or not.
External Content
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Wealth is not all: how gentrification in Zurich has led to housing shortage
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
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.