09/06/2026
Share:
09/06/2026
Share:
BELFAST, Jun 9: A Sudanese man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a violent knife attack in north Belfast, with police confirming he is an asylum seeker who had been granted leave to remain in the UK.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the suspect is believed to have travelled from Sudan to Paris, then to Dublin before entering Belfast via the Common Travel Area in February 2023, where he claimed asylum. He was later granted leave to remain in the UK in September 2023 for a period of five years.
The arrest follows an attack at around 10:30pm on Kinnaird Avenue in north Belfast, where a man in his 40s was left in a critical condition with severe injuries to his face, neck, eye and back. Police said a kitchen knife was recovered from the scene.
Social media footage circulating after the incident reportedly showed a man holding a knife to the victim’s throat while making a sawing motion, with witnesses heard shouting that the attacker was attempting to decapitate him. Bystanders intervened to stop the assault before police arrived, with one man striking the attacker using a hurling stick.
Police have confirmed the victim was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital and remains in critical condition.
Authorities said the incident is not currently being treated as terrorism-related. A cordon remains in place in the area as investigations continue, and police have confirmed they are not seeking any additional suspects.
The attack has prompted political reaction in the UK, with opposition figures calling for greater transparency over the suspect’s immigration status, while government officials and Northern Ireland leaders urged calm and warned against unrest.
Police have declared the incident a “critical case” and warned against any disorder, as community tensions rise following online calls for protests in Belfast.
