Amsterdam knife attack was terrorist act according to prosecution

From Annette Birschel

Amsterdam (Netherlands) - After the knife attack in Amsterdam that left five people injured, the public prosecutor's office is assuming a terrorist background.

Five people were injured in the attack on Dam Square, the central square in Amsterdam.
Five people were injured in the attack on Dam Square, the central square in Amsterdam.  © Peter Dejong/AP/dpa

The arrested man is suspected of five counts of attempted murder or manslaughter with terrorist intent, the public prosecutor's office in Amsterdam announced.

The prosecution did not say whether the suspect had made a statement about his motive. Information is being withheld because of the ongoing investigation.

Last week, a man stabbed passers-by seemingly at random in the center of the Dutch capital near the Royal Palace.

He used several knives to injure five people, two of them seriously. The suspect, a 30-year-old Ukrainian, was then overpowered by a British tourist.

The victims come from the USA , Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands . According to reports, four of them are still in hospital. Their condition is stable.