Rotterdam fatal knife attacker suspected of ‘terrorist motive’

THE HAGUE  -  A suspect in­volved in a fatal knife attack in the port city of Rotterdam is being suspected of murder with a terror motive, Dutch prosecutors said on Friday. Witnesses said the 22-year-old man attacked bystand­ers late Thursday with “two large knives” near the city’s iconic Eras­mus bridge, a popular spot for fitness training classes with a cafe and bar area. A 32-year-old man from Rotterdam was fatally wounded. A 33-year-old Swiss national suffered inju­ries and was admitted to hospital. “The Pub­lic Prosecution Service currently suspects the 22-year-old man of murder and attempted murder with a terrorist motive,” public prosecu­tors said. “The inves­tigation conducted so far indicated that the suspect may be ideo­logically driven,” they added in a statement. The suspect was ar­rested after the attack. Police said he was seri­ously injured and had been taken to hospital. National news agency ANP quoted witnesses as saying he apparently attacked people at ran­dom, shortly after 8:00 pm. Meanwhile the un­identified Swiss “has been discharged from hospital”, prosecutors said. The investigation was continuing and oth­er motives for the attack “could also not explic­itly be ruled out”, they added.

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