HUNTINGDON (United Kingdom), Nov 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — UK police said a British nationals were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a mass stabbing on a train in eastern England, adding the attack was not a “terrorist incident”.
Two people were initially arrested over the attack, with one released without charge later Sunday, police said. The man in custody was a “a 32-year-old male, a Black British national, British Transport Police superintendent John Loveless told reporters.
British police said the knife attack that put 11 people in hospital was not a terrorist incident. By late on Sunday, five of the injured had been discharged from hospital. Among those still being treated was a member of the train crew who tried to stop the attacker and was in a life-threatening condition, police said.
“At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident.”
The suspect was arrested by armed police after the train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon around 80 miles north of London.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an “appalling incident” which was “deeply concerning”, while King Charles said he was “truly appalled and shocked”.
Knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87% over the past decade, with 54,587 offences last year alone, a 2% rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe, according to figures from Britain’s interior ministry.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “deeply saddened”, while urging people to avoid speculation about the incident.
The government is keen to stop rumours spreading on social media following an incident in Southport in northwest England in 2024, when internet claims over the murder of three young girls sparked days of rioting across the country. — NNN-AGENCIES