LONDON

Violent protests erupted Thursday on the streets of Ireland's capital Dublin after five people were wounded in a stabbing attack, including three children and a woman.

The attack left a five-year-old girl and a woman in her 30s seriously wounded with three others sustaining injuries, including the suspect, according to local media reports.

The incident occurred around 1.40 p.m. local time on Parnell Square East near the bustling O'Connell Street. Two of the victims -- a six-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy -- were stabbed outside a nearby school.

Police have identified a man in his 50s as a “person of interest” and he is currently receiving treatment for serious injuries. Authorities have clarified that they are not actively seeking other individuals at the moment and are pursuing a specific line of inquiry.

They said all possible motives are being considered during the investigation.

Following the attack, there were tumultuous scenes near the site of incident as protesters gathered in the area. Riot shields and batons were employed by officers and several police vehicles suffered damage during clashes with protesters.

Police said a "complete hooligan lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology" is behind the violent protests.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee called for calm, expressing concern that a "violent and manipulative faction" is exploiting the incident to incite chaos. She strongly denounced the assaults on law enforcement officers.

A post on X showed a fire engulfing a building and claimed it was footage of an arson attack on a building migrants resided in.

"Police car on fire in Dublin. The Irish are fed up and angry about fake refugees attacking children and committing all kinds of crimes. All Europeans are fed up and angry,” another X user posted.

Despite some reports saying an Algerian immigrant was responsible for the stabbings, police did not confirm the identity of the man arrested.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced the deployment of additional police in response to the situation.