UK mass stabbing: British police say knife attack on train not a terrorist incident

British police said on Sunday that a knife attack on a train which led to eleven people being admitted to hospital with injuries was not being treated as a terrorist incident. They added that two men, both British nationals, have been arrested.

Counter-terrorism police had assisted with the initial investigation following the mass stabbing of passengers on a train in eastern England on Saturday evening.

The two suspects were identified as a 32-year-old Black British national and a 35-year-old British national of Caribbean descent, according to a police statement. Both were confirmed to have been born in the UK.

The arrests were made by armed police after the train halted for an emergency stop at Huntingdon, approximately 80 miles (130 km) north of London.

Of the eleven people hospitalised, four have since been discharged, though police confirmed that two patients remain in life-threatening conditions.

"At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident," Superintendent John Loveless from British Transport Police told media on Sunday.

"Appalling Incident"

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the event as an "appalling incident" which was "deeply concerning," while King Charles said he was “truly appalled and shocked.”

Figures from Britain’s Interior Ministry show that knife crime in England and Wales has surged by 87% over the past decade, with 54,587 offences recorded last year alone—a 2% increase from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe.

In her statement, British Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was "deeply saddened," while urging the public to refrain from speculation about the incident.

The government is keen to curb the spread of rumours on social media following a separate incident in Southport in northwest England in 2024, where unsubstantiated internet claims concerning the murder of three young girls sparked days of rioting across the country.

Witness Olly Foster told the BBC that he was on the train, which was heading towards London on Saturday evening, when someone ran past him claiming a man was stabbing "everyone, everything."

Another witness told Sky News that a suspect was observed wielding a large knife before being Tasered by police.

Britain's current threat level from terrorism is rated as "substantial" by security services, meaning an attack is considered "likely." Following a number of serious attacks in 2017, the UK has experienced somewhat quieter years in the 2020s, although three people were killed last month when a synagogue was attacked in Manchester.