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One Man Stabbed to Death, at Least Three Wounded in Australia


Emergency rescue personnel near the Bourke Street mall in central Melbourne, Australia, November 9, 2018.
Emergency rescue personnel near the Bourke Street mall in central Melbourne, Australia, November 9, 2018.

A man stabbed several people, killing one in the Australian city of Melbourne Friday.

Australian police say they believe the attack in Melbourne, the country's second-largest city is linked to terrorism.

The counter-terrorism command has taken a lead role in the investigation, authorities said.

Victoria state police Commissioner Graham Ashton said the suspect, now deceased, was originally from Somalia and was known to police.

Police opened fire on the suspect as he was swinging a knife at two police officers in the downtown area of the city, before one officer shot him in the chest. He was transported to a hospital where he later died.

Police had initially responded to a report on a burning car, but when they arrived at the scene found that people had been stabbed.

The suspect drove the car laden with gas cylinders on the same street where a fatal, but not terror-related incident occurred in January 2017 in which a man plowed his car into pedestrians, killing six people and wounding 30.

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