At least nine killed in knife attack outside Suriname’s capital Paramaribo

A knife attack outside Suriname ’s capital of Paramaribo killed at least nine people, including five children, police said on Sunday (December 28, 2025).

Officials said the victims included the attacker’s children and neighbours who came to their aid. Local media reported the victims were located at multiple homes.

The attack took place in Richelieu in the Commewijne district about 25 km east of Paramaribo.

In a statement on Sunday (Decembber 28, 2025), Suriname’s Police Corps said the male suspect attempted to attack police officers who arrived on the scene and he was injured during his arrest. He is now recovering in a hospital.

Police said a sixth child and another adult were seriously injured in the attack and were being treated at a hospital in Paramaribo.

On her Facebook page, Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons reacted to the news, saying the attacker took the life of his children and his neighbours.

“I wish all the bereaved much strength, resilience, and comfort in this unimaginably difficult time,” Ms. Geerlings-Simons wrote in Dutch, the nation’s official language.