Worthy Christian News > World News > Knife-Wielding Man Injures Five In Amsterdam

Knife-Wielding Man Injures Five In Amsterdam

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – A knife-wielding assailant in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, seriously wounded five people in what the government said may have been a deliberate terrorist attack.

The victims were identified as a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man from the United States, a 73-year-old woman from Belgium, a 26-year-old man from Poland and a 19-year-old Dutch woman from Amsterdam.

“This afternoon, five people were injured in a horrific stabbing incident in the city center. Police and emergency services were immediately on the scene. With the help of bystanders, the police were able to quickly arrest a suspect,” said Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema after Thursday’s violence.

“The police investigation is in full swing and is currently the top priority. We hope to gain more clarity soon about the background of this horrific stabbing incident. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and their loved ones,” she added in a statement monitored by Worthy News.

The attack occurred at around 3:30 p.m. local time and lasted several minutes before the assailant was stopped by a passerby near the city’s Dam Square, according to witnesses and officials.

A witness on Dam Square told a reporter that “suddenly, a chilling scream was heard,” after which “some panic” broke out. The suspect in the Amsterdam stabbing appeared confused, according to bystanders. “I heard a scream, and everyone started running,” said a man who was near Dam Square at the time of the stabbings. “People looked around in shock.”

A young woman who witnessed the attack said that this type of violence “happens more often these days, also in other countries.” Visibly shaken, she referred to incidents in Germany in recent months where perpetrators stabbed victims or drove into crowds with a car, which turned out to be terrorist attacks.

RANDOM VICTIMS

Authorities said in a statement that no motive had been established for the attack but that police were considering a scenario where the man targeted victims at random.

However, when pushed by reporters, Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel did not rule out a terrorism investigation would be launched.

Van Weel expressed his appreciation for “the swift action” taken by police.

“They responded incredibly quickly and reacted very effectively. They did a fantastic job,” he recalled.

In Amsterdam, police cordoned off the area, and several ambulances and a trauma helicopter were called to the scene.

Thursday’s attack comes while the European Union is on heightened alert for terror attacks following similar incidents elsewhere, including in Germany.

At least some of the incidents have been linked by anti-Islam parties to the growing number of migrants entering the Netherlands, including many from Muslim-majority nations.