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Blood-curdling screams were heard as a soldier was repeatedly knifed in a bloody attack near an Army barracks outside his home.
Locals rushed to help the serviceman, who is in his 40s, in Kent on Tuesday afternoon after he was stabbed with what witnesses described as two 10in kitchen knives before a man fled the scene on a moped.
The victim was airlifted to hospital in a serious condition after he was found with stab wounds in Sally Port Gardens, Gillingham at around 5.55pm. In an update issued on Wednesday morning, Kent Police said his condition is currently described as serious but stable.
A 24-year-old local man, who police said is reported to have left the scene on a motorcycle, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in Mooring Road, Rochester, around 35 minutes later and remains in custody.
The force said the motivation for the attack on the Army officer in uniform is not believed to be terror-related. It added that a number of knives have been seized.
Neighbours spoke of their horror at hearing piercing screams, with chilling doorbell footage shared with The Independent showing the moment Alex Reynolds, 38, and his father heard the chaos unfolding a few hundred yards away.
By the time he reached the scene, a crowd of onlookers was already gathered around the wounded soldier, who was wearing camouflage military fatigues.
The Army declined to comment on reports that the soldier was in uniform at the time.
Mr Reynolds told The Independent: “The man was lying there and not moving. We presumed he was dead, but I think he was told to just not move.”
His wife Natasha, 30 added: “I hope he is going to have a good recovery because it’s really dreadful what happened.”
The Army’s Chief of General Staff, General Sir Roly Walker, condemned the “horrific” attack on the officer, saying he is “deeply saddened” by the incident.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “shocked and appalled”, writing on 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.”
Describing the incident as “very, very scary”, one woman living nearby said she was sitting down to dinner with her family when they heard a “huge scream”.
Another woman who lives near the scene said she initially thought the commotion was to do with a traffic incident before she heard a woman “who was hysterical” screaming: “No!”
She said she heard the victim’s wife ask: “My husband has been stabbed – is there a first aider?”
Kind-hearted locals helped to provide life-saving first aid to the wounded soldier after the horror unfolded.
A couple helped apply pressure to multiple wounds on the victim’s body after their two sons – who had been playing on the street in quiet, leafy neighbourhood – alerted them to the stabbing nearby.
A local, who asked not to be named, told The Independent one of the good samaritans had taken the day off work to recover from “the most traumatic thing she ever witnessed”.
Afterwards the victim’s wife “collapsed in her arms crying”, The Independent understands.
A witness, who rushed to the victim’s aid, told The Sun: “Blood was everywhere as I tried to apply pressure to his wounds until the police arrived.”
A witness, who did not want to be named, told The Times: “This was with two kitchen knives, about nine to 10 inches long.”
Defence Secretary John Healey said it was “shocking” to hear of the attack on the soldier, while Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the incident as “shocking and appalling”. Shadow home secretary James Cleverly said the stabbing was “horrific”.
The incident happened near Brompton Barracks, the historic headquarters of the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment. Sally Port Gardens Road is the location for Lampard Centre, which is used for activities by soldiers and their families.
Just over a 10-minute drive away, police were seen searching a £360,000 semi-detached property near where the suspect was arrested in Mooring Road on Wednesday, while other forensic officers, with sniffer dogs, searched a cordoned-off area in the road.
One local resident heard a helicopter on Tuesday evening and looked out to see a man having been detained by police. Another neighbour said he saw a man in handcuffs being led by police into a car.
Cordons remained in place at both the scene of the incident and the scene of the arrest.
An Army spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with the soldier and their family.
“We will continue to work closely with Kent Police to understand what happened and support the investigation.”
Acting Chief Superintendent Richard Woolley of Kent Police said: “This was an upsetting incident for all concerned and our best wishes go to the victim, his family and those who witnessed the incident.
“Residents will experience an increased police presence in the Gillingham area and I would like to reassure everyone that officers responded quickly to take a man into custody and we do not currently believe anyone else was involved.
“The motivation for the attack is currently unknown and forms part of our ongoing enquiries.
“There is no further information at this time to suggest there are any wider threats to the local community including members of the armed forces.”
