Perpetrators blow up ATM and flee towards France

Unknown persons have blown up an ATM in a bank branch on Baslerstrasse, as the Basel Landschaft cantonal police confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency today. The manhunt is underway: As the operation is still ongoing, the authorities are not releasing any further details at this time.

The case was first reported by "20 Minuten": "The bang was so loud that our windows shook and everyone was immediately awake," a resident told the portal. "I heard several very loud bangs in the middle of the night," reported another ear witness.

She later found out that it was the ATM. The Basel resident is worried: "Such explosions only happen in films and the fact that it happened not far from me is scary."

Update 12.15 p.m.: Shortly after 3.45 a.m., the police received the first emergency calls. There was extensive damage to the vending machine and the building.

The perpetrators fled in a vehicle in the direction of Grabenring/France. Information on the perpetrators or the amount of money stolen could not initially be provided.

The area around the crime scene had to be cordoned off for the investigation. The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has taken charge of the investigation and is working together with the Basel-Landschaft police and the Federal Office of Police (fedpol).

Number of blasts is declining

There have already been other ATM blasts in Switzerland this year, including in Breitenbach SO and Genolier VD.

However, the number of explosives attacks on ATMs in Switzerland fell sharply in 2025. The Confederation sees this as confirmation that law enforcement and prevention are increasingly working.

In 2024, 48 ATM attacks were registered. From January to the beginning of December 2025, there were 23 such cases - a record low since the beginning of the decade.