Two people killed in attack at Islamic centre in Portugal

Officers shoot attacker after he approached them with a knife

Police officers stand guard outside the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon after a deadly knife attack. Reuters

At least two people were killed and one wounded in a knife attack at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon on Tuesday, Portuguese police and a Muslim community leader said.

Officers shot the attacker after he refused to lay down his weapon and approached them with a large knife. He was arrested and taken to hospital. Police said the attack occurred just before 11am (2pm UAE).

Armed police from a special operations unit formed a perimeter outside the centre.

Officers first called to the centre encountered a suspect “armed with a large knife”, police said.

Police ordered him to surrender and when he advanced towards them he was “neutralised”.

“The police came across a man armed with a large knife. Orders were given to the attacker to cease the attack, which he disobeyed, advancing towards the police, knife in hand,” police said.

“Faced with the serious and continuing threat, the police used firearms against the person, hitting and neutralising the aggressor.”

The suspect was taken to a Lisbon hospital where he remains in police custody.

The two victims were Portuguese nationals who worked at the centre, the SIC television network reported, citing community leader Nazim Ahmed.

Police initially reported several wounded but later confirmed just one person was hurt.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa said police were investigating the attack and it was too soon to speculate about a motive.

Calling the attack “a criminal act”, Mr Costa said police had shot the suspect.

“Everything points to this being an isolated incident,” he added, without elaborating.

Ismailis are a minority within Shia Islam. Prince Karim Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world's Ismailis, opened the Lisbon centre in 1998.

It has prayer halls, classrooms, meeting rooms and exhibition spaces.

The Ismaili community in Portugal is one of the largest in continental Europe, numbering thousands, including many who fled Mozambique during its civil war.

Portugal has not recorded any significant terror attacks in recent decades and religious violence is rare.