A man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of serious assault.
ADVERTISEMENTLONDON — Police have arrested a man suspected of stabbing at least five people in a shopping center in the English city of Manchester on Friday.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that five people were stabbed and were were taken to a hospital. Counter-terror police are leading the investigation but there has been no suggestion so far that the incident is terror-related, police said.
"In these early stages we are keeping an open mind about the motivation of this terrible and incident and the circumstances as we know them," police said in a statement.
"Given the location of the incident and its nature, officers from the Counter Terror Police North West are leading the investigation as we determine the circumstances," the statement said.
The ambulance service confirmed that its paramedics responded to a call at 11:17 a.m. (6:17 a.m. ET).
The motive for the attack is not clear and Greater Manchester Police have yet to confirm the victims' conditions.
In a statement, police said the suspect was in his 40s and was under arrest on suspicion of serious assault.
Unverified social media posts showed police detaining a man in the city's central shopping district by using a taser. A large police presence, including multiple cars and vans, could also be seen.