Hunt for gunman following mosque attack

SEVERAL people have been wounded in a shooting at a mosque frequented largely by Somali immigrants in Switzerland’s largest city.

Police and ambulances swarmed to the scene near the city’s railway station, blocked off a nearby road, and secured the Islamic Centre in Zurich.

Police were hunting for the gunman.

On Twitter, the Zurich police department said: “Large operation after shooting at mosque in the Eisgasse. Several injured. Perpetrator on the run.”

It said the situation was under control and the wounded had been taken to hospital.

There were conflicting news reports about whether the shooting took place inside a prayer room or outside.

A Zurich police official said the shooting occurred near the intersection of Militaerstrasse and Eisgasse streets.

Police said they found the body of a man a few blocks from the shooting and were investigating whether there is a connection to the attack.

Police told German-language daily Blick that three people had been injured.

Attacks by gunmen are rare in Switzerland. The country was shaken in 2013 by at least two multiple-fatality shootings.

The country has a long-standing tradition for men to keep their military rifles after completing compulsory military service – which partly explains a high rate of gun ownership in the country of about 8.2 million people. IT is The Herald’s policy to correct errors as soon as we can and all corrections and clarifications will usually appear on this page.

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