Finland’s president condemns knife ‘terror attack’

A minute silence has been held in the Finnish city of Turku for the victims of Friday’s knife attack in which two women were killed and eight others were injured. An 18-year-old Moroccan asylum seeker was arrested after police shot him in the leg. Police believe the attacker deliberately targeted women – six of the injured were also female. So far no group has claimed responsibility but the incident is being treated as a terror attack. With violent crime relatively rare in Finland the country is in shock. Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö condemned the attack from his official residence in Helsinki. ”We are all shocked about the enormous and incomprehensible violence the attacker used. On this occasion I also want to give my condolences to the relatives of the victims and wish a quick recovery to the wounded.” In addition to the arrest of the main suspect four other Moroccans have been held and an international search warrant issued for a sixth individual. On Sunday Police organised a reconstruction of Friday’s knife rampage and raided several addresses in Turku suburbs.