A 36-year-old man was stabbed to death in Stuttgart on Wednesday with a weapon described as a "sword."

The man was attacked in a street in the late afternoon, police said. Witnesses called police after the attack, which occurred during a dispute.

The victim succumbed to his injuries despite rescue efforts. Tabloid newspaper Bild reported the victim was a German Kazakh.

Police initially reported the alleged perpetrator was a Syrian citizen who had lived in Germany since 2015. However, local media have reported there may be discrepancies in that, with Bild reporting there was suspicion that the suspect could be a Palestinian who has assumed a false identity.

The attacker fled the scene by bicycle, but he was later arrested after a widespread search. Authorities could not confirm details about the identity of the suspect, but they said he was a 28-year-old who knew the victim.

A police spokesman described the act as "unusual and appalling."

Witnesses filmed the attack

The stabbing took place in the Fasanenhof area of Stuttgart, a residential district in the city's south.

Some witnesses are said to have filmed the attack and uploaded the footage to the web. Authorities are now investigating the use and reproduction of the videos, as this is prohibited by German law. 

Stuttgart is the capital of the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg, and is the sixth-largest city in Germany. Several major German companies are headquartered there, including major carmakers. It is regarded as one of Germany's safest cities.

jcg, aw/rt (AFP, dpa)

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