Publish Date: 13 August 2024 - 09:17

Tehran, IRNA – A masked man, dressed in a helmet and bulletproof vest, injured at least five people in a stabbing attack outside a mosque in northwest Turkiye on Monday.

According to Rai Al Youm newspaper, local media reported that the 18-year-old assailant, wielding a long knife, live-streamed the incident from a tea garden near the mosque in Eskisehir city on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) before being arrested by the Turkish police.

Reports suggest that as many as seven individuals were injured during the stabbing incident.

Eyewitnesses described the attacker as looking like a character from a video game, complete with an axe at his waist, a bulletproof vest, and a mask covering his face.

Multiple news outlets also reported that the attacker had a “black sun” symbol, which is associated with Nazi ideology and consists of several swastikas, displayed on his chest.

According to Turkiye’s Cumhuriyet daily, the assailant did not shout or provide any reason for his actions during the incident. The report suggested that he may have been influenced by video games, though it did not elaborate on this connection.

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