Two killed in stabbing attack in Finland; attacker shot

Armed Finnish policemen on guard at the Helsinki airport, after stabbings in Turku, in Vantaa, Finland, Aug 18, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Two people have been killed and at least six others injured in a stabbing attack on Friday in a market square in the Finnish town of Turku west of Helsinki, officials said. Police said the attacker was shot in the leg and taken into custody.

The local newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported that one man and five women were injured in the attack in the town 94 miles west of Finland's capital.

Police asked on Twitter that people leave the town center where the attack occurred as they search for other potential perpetrators.

Authorities said they placed the city center on lockdown and have reinforced security nationwide.

Finland's National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen said it was too soon to tell if the attack in was terror-related, according to state broadcaster YLE reported.

"Nothing is yet known about the motives," he said.

Security has been reinforced at Helsinki airport and at train stations.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä wrote on Twitter that the government is following the incident and the police operation in Turku closely, and that the government will meet later today.

The country's president, finance and interior ministers have all been made aware of the situation.

The attack comes after 13 people were killed and 100 injured in two terror attacks carried out in Spain on Thursday afternoon and early Friday morning.