1 dead, 2 injured in attack in Sweden

HELSINKI, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- One was killed and two others were injured in an attack in Boden, a municipality in northern Sweden, on Christmas Day, Swedish police said on Thursday, adding that officers shot dead a suspect at the scene.

Police said they received an emergency call at around 12:00 p.m. local time reporting an assault at a residential property in Boden. When officers arrived and attempted to detain the suspect, "unexpected circumstances" arose and police opened fire, killing the suspect on the spot, according to a statement from the police.

The victim was identified as a 55-year-old woman, police said. Two other people were taken to hospital, though the extent of their injuries was not immediately clear. The suspect was a man in his 20s with a prior criminal record. Police said an investigation has been launched on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. The relationship between the suspect and the victims remains unclear.

Police did not disclose what weapon was used in the attack. Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the weapon was a knife and that the incident took place at a residence in the central area of Boden.

Swedish Television reported that police launched a large-scale operation and cordoned off a wide area around the scene in the afternoon. Police said there were no other suspects and no information indicating any further danger to the public. ■