A gunman opened fire Friday on a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, wounding three people before the attacker was overpowered by two American passengers.

French officials say the gunman’s motives are not known, but say anti-terrorism police are leading the investigation.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the suspect was arrested at a railway station in the northern French town of Arras. Police have identified the man as a 26-year-old of Moroccan origin and say he was armed with an automatic weapon and a knife.

Cazeneuve told a news conference Friday that two U.S. citizens helped to disarm the attacker. “Without their courage, we would have faced a terrible tragedy,” he said.

In Washington, a White House official confirmed that U.S. service members were among those who overpowered the attacker and said two Americans were injured.

The official conveyed President Barack Obama’s “profound gratitude for the courage and quick thinking” of the passengers on the train. He said the president’s thoughts and prayers are with all the victims.

French media reports say the American men were U.S. Marines. U.S. military officials confirmed only that an American soldier had been wounded but said the injuries were not life-threatening.

The attack took place while the high-speed train, operated by Thalys, was traveling through Belgium.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel condemned what he called “the terrorist attack” and said he and French President Francois Hollande are working closely on the investigation.

Thalys is partly owned by the French and Belgian railways.

French authorities have been on high alert since Islamic militants killed 17 people in and around Paris in January.

 
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