Man arrested after British soldier was stabbed in attack near barracks

A masked attacker on a moped stabbed and seriously injured a British soldier in daylight near a barracks in southeast England, witnesses and police said Wednesday.

Police said a 24-year-old man was arrested soon after on suspicion of attempted murder. There was no immediate word on a motive. The local Kent Police force, rather than the counterterrorism squad, was leading the investigation.

The British Army said the victim, who is in his 40s, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “shocked and appalled,” writing on social network X. “All our thoughts are with the soldier, his family and our Armed Forces community, who serve to keep all of us safe. I wish him a swift recovery.”

Defense Secretary John Healey also called the attack “shocking.”

Read more: ABC News