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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Abigail O'Leary

Man with explosives arrested outside Switzerland parliament as capital evacuated

A man carrying explosives and wearing a bulletproof vest outside Switzerland's Parliament building.

Berne police said in a statement that in the early afternoon, "federal security staffers noticed a man at the southern entrance of the Parliament building whose appearance - he was wearing a bulletproof vest and weapon holster - and behavior were suspicious."

"During a body check that followed, a rapid test turned up explosives," the statement said.

The statement did not provide any detail on the explosives.

The suspect, who was not identified, was undergoing physical and mental exams, the statement said.

A police robot stands next to a suspicious car in front of the Swiss Parliament, the Bundeshaus in Bern (AP)

Federal prosecutors and police opened a criminal investigation. There was no immediate indication about a possible motive.

Police cordoned off Federal Square outside the ornate parliament building and nearby streets for several hours as they dispatched security teams - including fire squads and de-mining experts, backed by a police dog and drones - to inspect an abandoned car that had been associated with the suspect.

Security measures were lifted after it turned out that the vehicle presented no danger, the police statement said.

A police robot stands in front of the Swiss Parliament (Manuel Lopez/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Switzerland has rarely had any run-ins with extremist violence, but the federal police has regularly warned of the threat.

Buildings within the security cordon were also evacuated.

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