'Opportunists' told to stay away from Belfast after horror knife attack

A man from Sudan has been arrested over a knife attack in Belfast which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described as “horrific” and “abhorrent”.

The victim of the knife attack in Belfast suffered “significant injuries to his eyes” and a kitchen knife was recovered at the scene, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said as they gave further details about the "barbaric" attack.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson has said he shares the public’s “revulsion” at the attack and said that the victim was "taken to hospital with significant injuries to his eyes and serious slash wound injuries to his back and face." Police said they recovered a kitchen knife at the scene.

He also made a plea for "calm" amid reports of protests planned in Northern Ireland tonight over the stabbing, which he described as "brutal".

He said there was no information at this stage that the stabbing in Belfast on Monday night was terror related.

The suspect has been revealed as a Sudanese national with leave to remain in the UK until 2028. He entered the UK in 2023 and was granted refugee status the same year.

According to the Home office, he claimed to have entered the UK via the Common Travel Area, the passport-free travel zone that includes the Republic of Ireland, the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

In harrowing video posted online, an attacker can be seen straddling the bloodied victim’s neck armed with a knife.

He stabs the victim in the head repeatedly before taking the knife to the man’s neck, before members of the public rush over to stop the attack.

The clip shows people, including one with a hurling stick, intervening to stop the man attacking the victim in the residential area close to the busy Antrim Road in north Belfast.

Bystanders can be heard screaming in the clip: "He’s trying to cut his head off".

The victim, in his 40s, remained in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday.

A Sudanese man, aged in his 30s, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the “brutal” assault on Monday night which left the alleged victim with significant injuries to his face, neck and back, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.

Police initially said they believed the suspect in custody was from Somalia but later clarified that he is Sudanese.

The incident has prompted widespread condemnation and expressions of concern across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland and beyond.

The leaders of the five largest parties at Stormont issued a joint statement in response to the attack.

Sinn Féin vice president and Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill, DUP leader Mr Robinson, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long, UUP leader Jon Burrows and SDLP leader Claire Hanna said they were “united in our condemnation of the horrific incident in North Belfast last night”.

“There is no place in our society for this kind of brutality,” they said.

“Our immediate thoughts are with the victim and his family, and we hope he makes a full and complete recovery.

“Our thoughts are also with those eyewitnesses to the incident, as well as those brave members of the public who intervened.

“We recognise the distress and fear this incident will cause within the local community.

“We urge people not to share the deeply disturbing images or videos, as their graphic nature would only serve to retraumatise those involved.”

Condemning the incident, Sir Keir Starmer said: “The horrific attack in Belfast last night is sickening.

“I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets.

“My thoughts are first and foremost with the victim, and I thank the first responders, including members of the public who intervened."

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