An Afghan refugee stabbed two women to death and injured several other people at the Ismaili Centre in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. The two women attacked by the refugee were his Portuguese teacher and a classmate.

The police arrived at the centre after receiving a call where the officials confronted Abdul Bashir wielding a knife. The police asked him to drop it but refused after which they shot him and arrested him.

The police have not shared any reason for the attack except that they believe it was a criminal act.

He reportedly attacked the victims during a Portuguese language class that had about 16 students. Farana Sadrudin was an engineering instructor while Mariana Jaduagy had recently completed her master’s degree from Lisbon University.

Bashir is an Afghan refugee who first arrived in Greece and planned to move to Germany as he was unhappy in Portugal. He came from war-torn Afghanistan through a European Union (EU) initiative that helps asylum-seekers find shelter in countries other than Greece and Italy.

He used to visit the Ismaili Centre to study Portuguese language, collect food donations and seek childcare support. His wife reportedly passed away in Greece, leaving behind three children.

Ismailis are Shias Muslims who recognise Prince Karim Aga Khan as their spiritual leader. Portuguese Ismailis established community centres for social and cultural purposes in various towns where they settled in the 1970s.

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