Man hospitalised following Australian shopping centre stabbing

Sydney, July 15 (IANS) A man has been hospitalised following a stabbing attack outside a shopping centre in Australia's Melbourne.

Police in the state of Victoria said on Tuesday that two male pedestrians were seen arguing outside the shopping centre in Moonee Ponds, 7 km northwest of central Melbourne, on Monday afternoon before one man stabbed the other with a knife.

The victim, a 44-year-old man, suffered neck and chest injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The alleged attacker, a 55-year-old, was restrained by members of the public until police arrived. He was taken into custody and was charged with recklessly causing injury, intentionally causing injury and assault with a weapon, reported Xinhua news agency.

His action after being arrested prompted police to call in the counter-terrorism unit, but Acting Inspector Raj Tillekeratne told reporters on Tuesday that the attack is being treated as a random and isolated incident.

"We have nothing to indicate that this is either religiously or politically motivated," Tillekeratne said.

He said that the 44-year-old was lucky to have only suffered minor injuries.

On July 3, in a similar incident, gunshots were fired into a home in Sydney's inner west, and a suspected getaway car was set on fire, according to the police.

Officers attended the scene and found damage to the home consistent with a projectile. Nobody was inside the property at the time of the shooting, and there were no reported injuries.

Officers established a crime scene at the house and have commenced an investigation into the incident, including whether the house involved was the intended target of the shooting.

--IANS

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