Sydney mall stabbing: Six dead in 'horrific attack'; terror angle suspected

Witnesses recounted scenes of panic, with shoppers scrambling for safety and police working to secure the area. (Image: AFP)

Six individuals lost their lives on April 13 in an assault at a shopping center in Sydney. The incident, which involved a knife-wielding attacker, also resulted in injuries to several others, including a young child, reported Australian police.

Police stated that the individual who engaged with nine people in the bustling Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center was shot by an officer. The attack took place at the bustling Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex during a busy Saturday afternoon.

Immediately following the attack, five were reported to be killed.

"I am advised that there are five victims who are now deceased as a result of the actions of this offender," New South Wales police assistant commissioner Anthony Cooke had told reporters earlier.

The death count, however, rose to six later on the tragic Saturday afternoon according to the police.  "One last person died at the hospital," a New South Wales police spokesman informed the news agency.

While the motive behind the attacks remains unclear, according to Cooke, authorities are not ruling out a "terrorism" angle, at present, AFP further quotes the assistant commissioner.

"I do not know at this stage who he is. You would understand this is quite raw. Inquiries are very new and we are continuing to make attempts to identify the offender in this matter," further added Cooke.

A spokesperson from New South Wales Ambulance informed AFP that eight individuals were taken to various hospitals across Sydney, including a young child taken to the city's Children's Hospital. The official noted that all of them sustained traumatic injuries.

Footage from security cameras, as aired by local media, shows a man clad in an Australian rugby league jersey wielding a large knife, while injured individuals lay motionless on the floor of the shopping center.

Witnesses recounted scenes of panic, with shoppers scrambling for safety and police working to secure the area. Some sought refuge within stores to shield themselves and their loved ones.

Following the tragic incident, the mall has been shut down, and people have been advised to avoid the area, currently.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed sorrow and shock over the incident, emphasising that such attacks are uncommon in Australia, which typically has low rates of violent crime.

"This was a horrific act of violence, indiscriminately targeting innocent people going about an ordinary Saturday doing their shopping," he stated at a press meet. "Tonight the first thoughts of all Australians are with the victims of these terrible acts."

Albanese also took to microblogging site X, expressing his dismay and shock over the situation.

"Tragically, multiple casualties have been reported and the first thoughts of all Australians are with those affected and their loved ones," wrote the Australian Prime Minister.

According to Albanese, it appears that the accused acted "alone", as reported by AFP.