Sudanese man arrested over "horrific" Belfast knife attack

A man in his 30’s, who police have now confirmed is from Sudan, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a serious knife attack in North Belfast.

Footage of the incident in the Kinnaird Avenue area has been circulating on social media, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing it as “sickening” and “horrific”.

A man in his 40’s is in a serious condition in hospital following the attack, with significant injuries to his face, neck and back.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said, “This is a deeply concerning assault and I have declared this a critical incident. We have commenced an investigation to establish a motive.”

“This brutal attack will have sent shockwaves through the community causing real concern. I want to reassure the local community that we are treating this attack with the utmost seriousness”

“Our investigation is continuing at pace. Community safety is our priority and we are currently engaging with local representatives and residents to provide reassurance and support.”

“Our officers were on the scene within minutes and we wish to acknowledge the members of the public who strived to save the man from further attack. Their willingness to step forward to help another person shows incredible bravery and community spirit.”

"We are also aware of footage circulating online and we would strongly urge members of the public not to share or repost these images. Doing so risks causing further trauma to the injured man’s loved ones and may impact the ongoing investigation. Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family at this deeply distressing time.”

“As our investigation continues we will provide further updates.”

Anyone who witnessed this incident, or who may have captured dash-cam or CCTV footage from the area which could help with their investigation, is asked to contact police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1654 08/06/26.”