Man arrested after British soldier was stabbed and seriously hurt in attack near barracks

LONDON (AP) — A 24-year-old man was arrested after a soldier was stabbed and seriously injured in a street near a barracks in southeast England, police said Wednesday.

The British Army said the victim, who is in his 40s, suffered serious injuries. He was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

The Kent Police force said officers were called Tuesday evening to reports of an assault in the town of Gillingham, 30 miles (about 50 kilometers) southeast of London.

A suspect was arrested within half an hour, police said. British police do not name suspects until they have been charged. There was no immediate word on motive.

The road where police said the attack happened is close to Brompton Barracks, the headquarters of the British Army’s 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment.

“Our thoughts are with the soldier and their family and we request that their privacy is respected at this difficult time,” the army said in a statement. “We will continue to work closely with Kent Police to understand what happened and support the investigation.”

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