LISBON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- There is no indication that Tuesday's stabbings at the Ismaili Muslim Center in Lisbon has a terrorist motive, Luis Neves, director of the Portuguese Judiciary Police (PJ) has said on Wednesday.
According to Neves, "a psychotic break" was the probable cause that had led to the stabbings and death of two Portuguese women, aged 24 and 49, who worked at the center providing humanitarian assistance.
"All signs of a religiously motivated crime have been removed. We are talking about the practice of two qualified homicides, in addition to the attempt of a third," said Neves.
Speaking to journalists, he revealed that several national and international investigations had already been carried out, but these did not point to the suspected attacker's "religious radicalization."
Neves added that inspectors had already spoken to the suspect and that there would be a thorough psychiatric investigation of the suspect, as well as his relationship with the victims to determine if there were personal issues.
The suspect, identified as Abdul Bashir, from Afghanistan, is in hospital after being shot by the police. He will face questioning by the investigating judge on the case in a few days, said Neves.
The suspect had been in Portugal for about a year with his three minor children, said Jose Luis Carneiro, minister of internal administration, adding that "he was a citizen benefiting from the status of international protection."
According to Carneiro, the suspect led a "quite quiet" life, and benefited from the support of the Ismaili Muslim Center, from which he received food and assistance with his children. He said that there were "no signs that justified security warnings."
An Afghan man armed with a large knife attacked the Ismaili Muslim Center in Lisbon on Tuesday, killing two people, Portuguese authorities have reported. Police managed to immobilize the attacker with a shot to the leg, before transporting him to hospital. Other people also sustained injuries in the attack. ■