Six people have been killed and many injured in a knife attack in a shopping mall in the city of Sydney, Australia.
According to the AFP news agency, the Australian police confirmed the incident and said that the attacker attacked several people with a knife, but the identity of the suspect has not yet been identified. The police officer shot and killed the assailant on the spot.
The incident took place at Westfield Bondi Mall in Sydney, which is usually crowded with shoppers. New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cook said six people were killed in the incident. The motives of the attacker cannot be determined at this time, but Anthony Cook says that the motives of ‘terrorism’ cannot be ignored.
He said that information regarding the attacker could not be found, but identification is being done. A New South Wales Ambulance spokesman said eight people, including a child, had been taken to various hospitals in Sydney. In footage shown on local media, a man wearing an Australian rugby shirt and carrying a large knife can be seen running into the mall as victims of the attack lay on the ground.
According to eyewitnesses, there was chaos in the mall and people were trying to hide inside the shops.
Police have cordoned off the mall and advised citizens to stay away from the area. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his grief and wrote on social media platform X that many people have been killed and injured and the prayers of Australian citizens are with the victims and their families. Such incidents are considered highly unusual in Australia, where violent crime rates are relatively low.