Switzerland stabbing as knifeman shouts 'Allahu Akbar' on rampage and teacher shields children

Police have locked down Winterthur train station in Switzerland after a knifeman went on a rampage, stabbing four people according to eyewitnesses

A major police operation is underway after eyewitnesses reported a man stabbed four people at a train station in Switzerland. Police said three people were injured, one seriously.

According to reports in local media, the man shouted "Allahu Akbar" and stabbed four passersby at Winterthur train station at around 8:30am. A class of schoolchildren were in the vicinity of the attack, with their teacher shielding them according to reports.

An eyewitness who works opposite the cordoned-off area told Swiss national daily newspaper Tages-Anzeiger that a middle-aged man had shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greater) and stabbed four with a knife.

At the same moment, a school class was passing by the site of the attacks. The teacher then stood in front of the children to shield them from the horrific scene.

Another witness, a taxi driver, claimed that a man was walking around in the area of an underpass near the station and attacking people.

A total of three areas around the underpass are cordoned off, according to local media, with pieces of evidence marked with numbers as forensics officers work at the scene.

A spokesperson for the Zurich police has confirmed three people were injured with a bladed weapon, one of them seriously. The victims were aged 28, 42, and 52, the force said.

The other two sustained moderate injuries. The suspected perpetrator, a 31-year-old Swiss man, has been arrested. The motive is currently unclear.

After approximately three hours, the cordons were removed and the police operation concluded, Swiss media reported.