Portugal: 2 dead in stabbing at Lisbon Muslim center

A man stabbed two women to death at Lison's Ismaili Muslim center in a "criminal act," Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Tuesday.

"The attack left several people wounded and, for the moment, two dead," said the police.

The two women who died were aged around 20 and 40, according to the police.

What we know about the attack

Police said they arrived at the scene just before 11 a.m. local time (1000 GMT) after being warned that a knife attack was underway.

Police said in a statement that they shot the attacker.

"Faced with the serious and ongoing threat, the policemen used firearms against the person, hitting and neutralizing the aggressor," police said.

CNN Portugal reported that the alleged attacker was Afghan and was carrying a large knife.

The police took the suspect under custody, and he was later carried to a hospital in Lisbon.

Costa stated that it was "an isolated incident." He further said that it was "premature to make any interpretation of this criminal act."

Who are the Ismailis?

The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims belong to the Shia branch of Islam, as stated on their website.

The "culturally diverse community" is spread across the globe, with members living in more than 25 countries, it says. They have a global population of around 12 to 15 million.

In Portugal, there are around 7,000 Ismaili Muslims. The country did not have any major terror attacks in recent decades, with religious violence almost being non-existent.