Amsterdam train station stabbing attack victims were Americans

Two bystanders who were seriously injured in a knife attack at Amsterdam's Central Station are US citizens, the US ambassador said Saturday.

"We are aware that both victims were US citizens and have been in touch with them and their families," Pete Hoekstra said in a statement.

Police shot and wounded a 19-year-old Afghan man, who stabbed the two people at the Dutch capital's busy station in the city center on Friday.

Police said the man seemed to have randomly picked his two victims in the busy hall of Amsterdam central station at around midday.

He was shot and taken to a hospital by police where he was being interrogated, police and the Amsterdam city council said in a joint statement.

“The investigation into the incident is ongoing”, the authorities said. “All scenarios are taken into consideration, including a terrorist motive.”

Earlier this week, Dutch police arrested a 26-year-old man suspected of threatening to attack far-right politician Geert Wilders over his plan to hold a contest of cartoons depicting Islam’s Prophet Mohammad.

Wilders on Thursday canceled the contest citing security risks, as thousands of people in Pakistan marched in protest of his plan, while the Taliban in Afghanistan called for attacks on Dutch troops serving in the country.