A Bangladeshi couple and their five-year-old daughter were stabbed to death by an assailant inside their home in Rome, Italy, while their son sustained serious injuries during the attack.
The brutal incident occurred at around 9:00pm local time on Friday at a residential apartment on Via Montiglio, near Pineta Sacchetti in western Rome.
The head of the family has been identified as Kamal Hossain, a native of Companiganj in Noakhali district, Bangladesh. He had been living in Italy with his family for many years.
The other victims were identified as Kamal Hossain's wife Arju Begum, and their five-year-old daughter Aroya Islam Arisha. Their 20-year-old son, Amir Hossain Ayon, was critically injured in the stabbing and was taken to a hospital by police.
Afnan Hossain Nayeem, a relative of the deceased, confirmed the incident. He said the family had learned that Ayon was receiving treatment at a hospital and that Italian police were investigating the case.
According to Nayeem, the family was unaware of any personal enmity involving Kamal Hossain. The killings have cast a pall of grief over the family's hometown in Noakhali's Companiganj.
Meanwhile, citing local Italian media reports and members of the Bangladeshi community in Italy, sources said an unidentified man armed with a weapon entered the apartment on Friday night and attacked the family. Kamal Hossain, his wife and their five-year-old daughter died at the scene.
During the attack, Kamal's son attempted to stop the assailant but was also stabbed. Despite his injuries, he managed to leave the apartment to seek help, prompting neighbours to alert police.
Member of Police and ambulances rushed to the scene and recovered the bodies. The injured son was admitted to a local hospital.
Following the incident, Rome police tightened security in the area and launched an extensive operation to identify and arrest the attacker.
Special investigators and forensic experts from the Italian police collected evidence from the crime scene. The motive behind the killings has yet to be determined.
Police said they were investigating whether the incident was a premeditated murder, a robbery or the result of a personal dispute. CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being examined in an effort to identify the suspect.
