5 injured in stabbing attack in central Amsterdam; suspect in custody

Five people were wounded in a stabbing attack near a popular tourist area in central Amsterdam, according to local police. The victims include citizens from the United States, Poland, and Belgium.

The attack occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m. local time on Thursday in and around Sint Nicolaasstraat, a street just steps from Dam Square, one of the city’s busiest areas and a major tourist destination. Amsterdam police said the victims were found at several locations nearby.

Among those injured are a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man, both American nationals; a 26-year-old man from Poland; a 73-year-old woman from Belgium; and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam. Their current conditions were not disclosed.

The suspect, who was also injured in the leg, was arrested minutes later in the nearby Gravenstraat street with the help of bystanders, police said. He was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Authorities said the motive for the attack remains unclear, but investigators are considering the possibility that the victims were chosen at random.

“The police investigation is in full swing and has full priority at the moment,” Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said in a statement. “We hope to soon get more clarity about the background of this horrible stabbing. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and loved ones.”

Multiple ambulances and a Mobile Medical Team responded to the scene, and Dam Square was partially closed off to allow emergency services to operate and to facilitate the ongoing investigation.