ISIS claims responsibility for 'Allahu Akbar' train attack

ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack by a teen who entered Germany as a refugee from Afghanistan and shouted "Allahu Akbar" while he used an ax to slash and hack at train passengers there.

The teen was shot dead by police who happened to be nearby, but not before seriously injuring several people.

According to a report from Fox, while ISIS claimed responsibility Tuesday for the ax-and-knife attack by the still unidentified 17-year-old from Afghanistan, authorities said his direct connection to the extremists was unclear and he may have been self-radicalized.

Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann reported the teen shouted the Islamic slogan as he attacked passengers on a train near Wuerzburg late Monday. Authorities said they found a hand-painted ISIS flag later in his room.

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The claim of responsibility from ISIS came through its Aamaq news agency.

The targets of the attack were not immediately identified but Fox reported Hong Kong's immigration agency said they were four members of a family of five.

A hospital in Wuerzburg confirmed that it was treating two patients from Hong Kong with life-threatening injuries, Fox said.

"Herrmann said it was a tragedy that a 'family from Hong Kong comes here as tourists to visit Wuerzburg ... and then becomes victim on a train here in Bavaria in an attack conducted by an offender who came from Afghanistan and who was originally seeking shelter here,'" Fox reported.

The report cited the dpa news agency that said the victims were a 62-year-old father, 58-year-old mother, an adult daughter and her boyfriend. A son was not injured.

The Mirror had reported various sources described the attacker as "crazed."

"There are hints that he – in a text – writes about the lives of Muslims, but also that Muslims must take action on their own and resist now," Herrmann said in the report.

Wuerzburg Mayor Christian Schuchardt said, "I'm shocked by this horrible act of violence."

The Mirror report said, "There has not yet been any word on whether or not the attack is linked to extremism of any kind, but Europe has been on major alert since a terrorist killed more than 80 people with a massive lorry in Nice, France, last week."

It said "large swathes" of Europe are on alert to terrorism, especially "holiday hotspots" which now are considered high risk.