UK police arrest man after soldier stabbed near army barracks

Police have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after a British Army soldier was seriously wounded in a stabbing incident in Kent, southeast England.

Police said officers received reports on Tuesday evening of a soldier in uniform, a man in his 40s, suffering stab injuries in Sally Port Gardens, Gillingham. The area is located close to the army's Royal School of Military Engineering.

"The motivation for the attack is currently unknown and forms part of our ongoing enquiries, although we are exploring the possibility that it may be mental health-related," Kent Police Acting Chief Superintendent Richard Woolley said in a statement.

"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," he added.

An army spokesperson confirmed a soldier had sustained serious injuries in the attack and said the army was working closely with police to support the investigation.

"I am shocked and appalled by the news that a soldier has been attacked in Kent," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X. "All our thoughts are with the soldier, his family and our Armed Forces community, who serve to keep all of us safe."