A stabbing in front of a supermarket in the eastern German state of Saxony has left two people severely injured, with police issuing an arrest warrant for the 23-year-old suspect on Friday.   

What do we know so far? 

The attack took place on Thursday evening in Rochlitz, which is located about 30 kilometers (around 19 miles) north of the major city of Chemnitz. 

According to a statement put out by Chemnitz police, the suspect was next to the entrance when he ambushed and stabbed a 59-year-old woman who was leaving the supermarket. 

An 18-year-old worker of a neighboring shop came over to help the woman and was then also wounded by the attacker. 

The perpetrator was held down by passersby until the police arrived at the scene. The suspect violently resisted his arrest, and lashed out at the police.

Both victims have been taken to the hospital to receive treatment. They are not in life-threatening condition.

Suspect had earlier been banned from supermarket

With the apparent perpetrator in custody, the police have opened an investigation into the attack. 

The suspect went into the supermarket in the afternoon, despite being banned from the premises. A supermarket employee asked him to leave.

Germany is taking tougher security measures when it comes to knife crime, particularly after a deadly attack in the western German city of Solingen last August.

The German government in recent months has sought to ban knives at public events such as festivals or sports matches, and has also sought to prohibit knives at train stations, which are often a hotspot for crime.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic

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