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Rotterdam train alert: Man held after passengers evacuated

Dutch police have arrested a man who claimed to have a bomb aboard the Thalys Amsterdam-Paris train, Dutch media reported Friday.

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A SWAT team and an anti-terrorist unit were present during the evacuation at 8.30am local time (06:00 GMT). “Then their were armed tactical police everywhere”.

Dutch television showed armed police with hi-tech equipment scanning the trains and searching the carriages for any devices, the Associated Press reported.

Police are continuing to search the train and are going through a backpack that they believe belonged to the man.

Earlier, the high-speed rail provider said in a tweet that, “Security forces have situation under control”.

But after around half an hour officers concluded that the man was not armed, and the terror alert was stood down. He locked himself into the train’s bathroom.

Police in the Netherlands said the arrest happened at Rotterdam Central station without incident.

Last month, passengers had overpowered a gunman aboard the Amsterdam-Paris Thalys train in northern France. “No risk for our passengers”.

Police had said the evacuation had been a “precautionary measure”, with a negotiator on the way to talk to the suspect, before announcing the arrest.

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El Kahzani has previously been to Syria, prompting fear he was working directly for ISIS militants.

Train evacuated after reports passenger 'had a bomb&#039