Officers search terror suspect’s home after three hurt at station
Stabbings being treated as terrorism
POLICE HAVE been searching the home of a terror suspect accused of carrying out a “frenzied” New Year’s Eve stabbing which left three people hurt.
Greater Manchester Police said the 25-year-old was being held on suspicion of attempted murder after a couple in their 50s were left with serious injuries.
A British Transport Police officer was also stabbed as he tried to stop the attack.
Police raided a newly-built semi-detached house on School-side Close in Cheetham Hill, a mile north of the city centre. Tactical Aid Unit vans were stationed outside, with a policeman stood guarding the door.
Nousha Babaakachel said a Somali family live at the address, who came to live in the street around 12 years ago from the Netherlands.
Prime Minister Theresa May joined British Transport Police in commending the emergency services for containing the threat during the incident, which happened at about 9pm on Monday at Manchester Victoria Station.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, of Greater Manchester Police, said the man and woman had suffered multiple stab wounds in the “random” attack.
The suspect was heard to shout “Allah” and “Long live the Caliphate” during the incident at the station, which is next to Manchester Arena where suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people on May 22, 2017.
Mr Jackson said while they were treating their investigation as terror-related, they were “retaining an open mind in relation to the motivation for this attack”.
“We have nothing to suggest at this time others are involved,” he said.
The couple who were stabbed are expected to remain in hospital for some time.
The injured officer was yesterday discharged from hospital.
AN EYEWITNESS has described how he heard a “blood-curdling scream” as a man with a 12-inch blade attacked a couple at Manchester Victoria Station.
The man and woman in their 50s are being treated in hospital for serious knife injuries following the suspected terror attack at about 9pm on Monday.
A police sergeant in his 30s, who was stabbed in the shoulder, was yesterday released from hospital.
Sam Clack, a BBC producer, was on a platform waiting for a tram home when he witnessed the incident.
The 38-year-old said: “I just heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform. What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black.
“It looked like they were having a fight but she was screaming in this blood-curdling way.”
Mr Clack said he heard the knifeman shouting “Allah” and at one point feared the man would also attack him.
“I saw police in high-vis come
towards him. He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear,” he said.
“Here’s a man who’s very agitated, angry, skittish.
“It appears he had already attacked someone. He had police coming towards him and he’s coming towards me.
“I thought what I need to do is jump on to the tracks because next thing he’s going to do is turn around and stab me.
“He’s looking about, side to side and jumpy. At one point one of the police officers fired the Taser but it missed him. Then he got pepper sprayed and Tasered and he went to the ground.”
Mr Clack said the couple who were attacked had been conscious and were walked to a waiting ambulance.
Counter-terror police were yesterday continuing to question a 25-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, of Greater Manchester Police, said they were still trying to establish whether the suspect is a British national and how he came to be at the station.
He said: “We are obviously considering his mental health given how frenzied the attack was, its random nature but also consider the fact that it’s at the same location as the Manchester (Arena) attack.
“We are exploring all avenues.” He said police recovered two knives but do not yet know if both were used in the attack.