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الوسم: knife attack

  • British-Pakistani teen fatally stabbed outside mosque

    British-Pakistani teen fatally stabbed outside mosque

    A teenage boy from Pakistan has tragically lost his life following a brutal stabbing outside a mosque on Friday evening. The incident occurred outside Oldbury Jamia Masjid in Smethwick, a town bordering Birmingham, as worshippers were inside the mosque completing the Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan.

    The victim has been identified as 18-year-old Zeeshan Afzal, a resident of Smethwick. Two other young men, aged 19 and 22, are also receiving treatment for stab wounds at a nearby hospital, but their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

    The community is deeply affected and distressed by this tragic event, which unfolded during the holy month of Ramadan. Witnesses at the mosque reported their shock at the heavy police and emergency presence when they stepped outside after prayers.

    Since the stabbing took place in the parking lot, authorities cordoned off the area. Police instructed residents to stay indoors and did not allow them to leave for roughly 40 minutes. When permitted to leave, they were not allowed to remove their vehicles, as the scene was designated a crime scene.

    According to West Midlands police, they responded after members of the public called them about a disturbance in the parking lot of Jamia Masjid Chashma-e-Rahmat on Oldbury Road. Upon arrival, officers found Zeeshan Afzal with multiple stab wounds; despite paramedic efforts, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after.

    In the aftermath, the police launched a murder investigation, working to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those responsible. A police spokesperson stated, “A murder inquiry is ongoing following the tragic death of a teenager stabbed in Smethwick.” They added that they are committed to supporting Zeeshan’s family during this difficult time.

    While investigators have yet to uncover the motive behind the attack, they have urged locals and witnesses to come forward with any information they might have. The police have also emphasized that, at this stage, the incident is not believed to be racially or religiously motivated, and they reassured the community that measures are in place to maintain safety.

    “Although the incident occurred outside a mosque, there is currently no evidence to suggest it was driven by racial or religious hatred,” a police statement read. “We understand this event has caused significant concern, and we will maintain a visible police presence in the area to help reassure residents.”

  • Knife Attack at Hamburg Station: Over 12 Injured, Say Officials

    Knife Attack at Hamburg Station: Over 12 Injured, Say Officials

    Police officers gather at Hamburg’s main train station following a knife attack that injured several individuals, May 23, 2025. — Reuters

    • At least six individuals are reported to be in critical condition.
    • A suspect inflicted injuries on multiple victims with a knife at the train station, according to police.
    • Federal prosecutors have taken over the investigation into the attack.

    BERLIN: A knife assault at the primary train station in Hamburg, Germany, resulted in at least 12 injuries, with several victims in critical condition, according to local emergency services.

    “Initial reports indicate that an individual attacked multiple people with a knife at the main train station,” the Hamburg police stated in a post on X.

    “The suspect has been taken into custody by law enforcement.”

    A spokesperson for the Hamburg fire department told AFP that 12 people were hurt in the incident.

    Among those injured, “six individuals are in life-threatening condition,” the spokesperson confirmed.

    Some victims were being treated inside trains, as reported by the German daily, Bild.

    Germany has been shaken by a series of violent acts in recent months.

    Just a few days prior, four people were injured in a stabbing incident at a bar in Bielefeld.

    The investigation has been transferred to federal prosecutors after the arrested suspect indicated to authorities that he held extremist views.

  • Italy Detains Suspect in Stabbing at French Mosque

    Italy Detains Suspect in Stabbing at French Mosque

    A police officer and a municipal officer in France securing a school after a knife attack on April 24, 2025. — AFP

    • The suspect is unemployed and hails from a Bosnian family.
    • According to French authorities, the suspect turned himself in to Italian police.
    • Political leaders in France have denounced the attack.

    An individual has been detained in Italy on suspicion of fatally stabbing a young Malian man while the victim was praying inside a mosque in southern France, French officials reported on Monday.

    Abdelkrim Grini, the public prosecutor from Ales in the Gard region, confirmed to BFM TV that the alleged assailant visited a police station near Florence at approximately 11-11:30 PM on the previous night.

    “We were aware he had left France… It was only a matter of time before he was apprehended,” he stated.

    Regarding the attack’s motive, Grini indicated: “An anti-Muslim motivation is the primary focus… However, there are also indications that suggest other motivations, perhaps a desire for notoriety as a serial killer.”

    French politicians condemned the attack that was recorded and shared on Snapchat.

    The suspect, an unemployed man from a Bosnian family, was known to reside in La Grande Combe, a small town north of Ales.

    Grini noted, “He had previously gone unnoticed by law enforcement and had not been in the headlines until this tragic incident.”

    In La Grande Combe, over 1,000 people gathered on Sunday for a silent march in memory of the victim, Aboubakar Cisse, who was in his twenties. The march proceeded from the Khadidja Mosque, the scene of the stabbing, to the town hall.

    Later that day in Paris, several hundred individuals, including three-time presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, gathered to protest, accusing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau of fostering an “Islamophobic environment.”

    President Emmanuel Macron expressed on X, “Racism and hatred based on religion will never be accepted in France,” extending “the nation’s support” to the victim’s family and “to our Muslim compatriots.”

    France, which prides itself on its secular principles known as “laicite,” is home to the largest Muslim population in Europe, exceeding 6 million individuals and making up about 10% of the total population.