Afghan 'Refugee' Stabs Multiple People at Portuguese Islamic Centre in Lisbon (Video)

At an Ismaili Muslim center in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday, an Islamic man wielding a large knife killed two women and injured several other people on Tuesday. Portuguese police said they were investigating the stabbing attack as a possible terror act.

Officers dispatched to the center late Tuesday morning encountered a man armed with a knife, according to a police statement. The officers ordered him to surrender, and he was shot when he advanced toward them.

Portuguese authorities described the man as a refugee from Afghanistan who was receiving help from the Ismaili Community. The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally known as the Ismailis, belong to the Shia branch of Islam.

The suspect is described as a “young man” who arrived in Portugal through a European Union program that transfers asylum-seekers to member countries to help relieve pressure on Mediterranean nations such as Greece and Italy.

The Afghani man’s wife reportedly died in a refugee camp in Greece, leaving him to care alone for three children, ages 9, 7, and 4. The Local Afghan community representatives said the suspect was known to have psychological problems after his wife died.

The Morning Call