LONDON: A man suspected of attacking three Russians with a knife in Istanbul has been detained by police.

According to Russian news service Sputnik, a local garbage collector attacked the man and two women late on Sunday night. They were in hospital but their injuries were not life threatening.

The attack was caught on camera and widely shared online.

Sputnik reported a source as saying: “The suspect has been detained. According to preliminary data, he is mentally ill. The wounded Russians are still in the hospital: these are two women and a man.”

Turkey continues to grapple with high rates of violent crime, particularly murder and attempted murder.

According to data from the World Bank, it has a homicide rate of 2.6 per 100,000 people — double that of Saudi Arabia.

Last month, Arab News reported that security concerns meant Saudis were no longer considering Turkey as a tourist destination.

In October, the US Embassy in Turkey said it had received reports of potential terrorist attacks and kidnappings against foreign nationals in Istanbul.

The British Foreign Office, on its website, warns that street robbery is common in parts of Istanbul, and urges tourists to be “extra vigilant” when visiting Turkey.