Ardern says supermarket stabbing was 'terrorist attack'

Police in New Zealand shot and killed a "violent extremist" after he stabbed and wounded at least six people in an Auckland supermarket.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the incident was a "terrorist attack" carried out by a Sri Lankan national who was under police surveillance.

Ardern says the man, who has not been officially named, was a supporter of the Islamic State terrorist group. Police killed the man within 60 seconds of the attack yesterday.

Of the six wounded people, three are in a critical condition and one is in a serious condition.

Police commissioner Andrew Coster said a surveillance team and a specialist tactics group had followed the man from his home to the supermarket.

But while there were concerns about the him, officials said they had no reason to think he was planning an attack yesterday, and the team believed he was going to do his grocery shopping.

After entering the store, however, the attacker got hold of a knife and went on a stabbing spree.

[Source: BBC]