Finland confirm identity of main suspect in knife attack

HELSINKI: The main suspect in the stabbing attack that killed two and injured eight others this month in the Finnish city of Turku has been identified as Abderrahman Bouanane, a 22-year-old Moroccan national, authorities said on Monday.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) informed the Turku court on August 28 that "the real name of the suspect is Abderrahman Bouanane" and that his date of birth is October 25 1994, the court said in an e-mail to AFP.

After the August 18 stabbing spree, which is being investigated as Finland's first terror attack, the main suspect was initially identified as an 18-year-old Moroccan.



But NBI investigators said the suspect had given "false information" to the Finnish authorities when he arrived in Finland and requested asylum.

Prosecuted for "murders and attempted murders of a terrorist nature", Bouanane was heard again last week and has agreed to communicate with the person in charge of the hearings, according to the NBI.

Police have said that he targeted women in the rampage at a market square in the southwestern port city of Turku.

Two women were killed and eight people were wounded -- six women and two men who tried to fend off the attacker.



Reports in the Finnish media also say that while the man has acknowledged making the attacks, he said he had not intended to kill anyone and denied any terror motive.

Six other people have been arrested on suspicions of being involved in the attack, though three of them have since been released.