Switzerland: 2 dead, 1 injured as gunmen open fire at Basel cafe

Gunmen opened fire inside a cafe in the Swiss city of Basel on Thursday, leaving two people dead and a third critically wounded, authorities said.

A statement from the office of the local prosecutor said two men entered Cafe 56 at 8.15 pm on Thursday and unleashed a salvo of gunfire. They then escaped in the direction of a nearby railway station.

The identity of the three victims is yet to be determined, authorities said. No one else was hurt in the attack.

Investigations are still ongoing but a police officer told The Associated Press: "This is a local incident. It has nothing to do with Islamists or terrorism."

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Forensic teams are collecting evidence from inside and near the cafe.

The attack comes a day after the town concluded celebrations of Fasnacht, the largest carnival in Switzerland.

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