London —
A knife attack in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which was captured in a graphic video, has left the local community reeling and been condemned by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “horrific.”
Local police said Tuesday they had arrested a Sudanese man in his 30s on suspicion of attempted murder following the attack that left another man hospitalized in a serious condition. Police earlier described the suspect as Somalian but later confirmed he is Sudanese in an updated statement.
Much of the attack, which took place on Monday night in northern Belfast, was filmed by a witness and has since gone viral on social media. In that footage, a man can be seen pinning another man, whose head is covered in blood, to the ground and attacking him before bystanders and police officers intervene. The victim sustained significant injuries to his eyes and serious wounds to his back and face, Northern Ireland’s Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told reporters Tuesday, according to PA Media.
Currently, there is no evidence of any links to terrorism, Henderson said while stressing police are still in the early stages of their investigation. The suspect had legal right to reside in Northern Ireland, he added.
