Man arrested after British soldier stabbed and seriously injured in attack near barracks

LONDON – A 24-year-old man was arrested after a soldier was stabbed and seriously injured in a street near a barracks in southeast England, police said Wednesday.

The British Army said the victim, a man in his 40s, suffered serious injuries and was flown to hospital by helicopter for further treatment.

Kent Police said officers were called to an attack in the town of Gillingham, about 50 kilometers southeast of London, on Tuesday evening.

A suspect was arrested within half an hour, police said. British police do not name suspects until charges have been brought against them. There was initially no information about the motive.

The street on which police say the attack occurred is near Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the 1st Regiment of the British Army’s Royal School of Military Engineering.

“Our thoughts are with the soldier and his family and we ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult time,” the army said in a statement. “We will continue to work closely with Kent Police to understand what happened and support the investigation.”