A Russian man armed with a knife stabbed multiple people in the streets of Surgut Saturday before police shot him dead.
The attacker, a young man believed to be in his early 20s, “carried out attacks on passers-by, causing stab wounds to eight,” according to Russia’s Investigative Committee, the Telegraph reports. Authorities initially suspected the attacker was mentally ill, dismissing terrorism as the motive.
The Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency has since claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the SITE Intel Group, which monitors jihadi activity worldwide.
BREAKING: ‘Amaq News Agency reported #ISIS responsibility for knife attack in #Surgut #Russia pic.twitter.com/5JPz8dK6Gs
— SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) August 19, 2017
The attack began around 11:20 a.m. in Surgut, a city in northern Russia. Police initially fired a warning shot and attempted to arrest the attacker, but when he resisted, armed police “liquidated” him with gunfire, police explained to reporters.
WATCH:
Although Russian authorities initially reported that eight people were injured in the attack, the number has since been revised to seven, according to Russian state media. Only the suspect was killed in the attack, but the victims did require medical treatment. Two are reportedly in serious condition.
Authorities claim they have identified the attacker, and they are still considering the possibility that a psychiatric disorder was the root cause of the attack.
The stabbings in Russia Saturday follow a deadly ISIS attack in Barcelona, Spain earlier this week. In the popular tourist town, a young radical slammed a van into pedestrians, killing a total of 14 people and injuring many others.
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