Finland stabbings: Police 'do not rule out terrorism' after knife rampage leaves two dead
Two people killed in city-centre stabbing spree
Attacker in custody after police shoot him in the legs
Police 'searching for more possible perpetrators'
Two people have been killed in a stabbing attack in southwest Finland, authorities have confirmed.
One suspect was arrested and armed police were searching for other possible perpetrators following the rampage in the city-centre of Turku on Friday afternoon.
Press conference from Turku at Finnish Yle TV1 just started. Confirmed: 8 stabbed 2 dead. Perpetrator in custody. My heart breaks. #Turku
— Elina Nikulainen (@ElinaNikulainen) August 18, 2017
"Police shot the suspected perpetrator in the legs," police wrote on Twitter. "The person has been arrested. We recommend that people avoid central Turku."
The police is searching for possible more perpetrators in Turku. People are asked to leave and avoid the center of Turku.
— L-S poliisi (@L_S_poliisi) August 18, 2017
Petri Virolainen, the director of Turku University hospital said: "I can confirm that eight people are in our hospital. One person is dead. The rest are in stable condition."
About half a dozen people were seen lying on the ground in Turku city center as the attack began at around four PM local time.
Video footage filmed shortly after the attack showed people running in a panic down one of the city's main streets.
Witnesses reported seeing seeing a woman with stroller being attacked by a man with a large knife.
Images taken just after attack in #Turkupic.twitter.com/xrY7Z9eZW2
— Stoonbrace (@Stoonbrace) August 18, 2017
Finnish police said they reinforced security at Helsinki airport and train stations following the attack, which comes amid a heightened tensions following yesterday's terrorist attack in Barcelona.
It was not immediately clear if there was any link between the stabbings in Finland and events in Spain.
Several persons stabbed in central Turku. Police has shot at suspected perpetrator. One person is apprehendee
— L-S poliisi (@L_S_poliisi) August 18, 2017
Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sippila Tweeted: "The government is following the situation in Turku closely and a police operation is under way."
In 2012, Finland's then-prime minister Jyrki Katainen escaped a knife attack in Turku while campaigning for municipal elections.
The man who approached him carrying a knife was found to be psychologically disturbed and no charges were brought against him.
Finland's Security Intelligence Service (Supo) earlier said it had no indication that individuals in Finland were linked to the Barcelona attacks and that the country's threat assessment would remain unchanged, at an "elevated" level.
Turku is a city of 186,000 people in southwest Finland.
