Man held after attacking Italian security forces

Milan, May 19:  A homeless 20-year-old Italian man whose father is Tunisian has been arrested for attempted murder over the stabbing of two soldiers and a policeman at Milan's central station on Thursday.

One of the servicemen was released from hospital with a seven-day prognosis after allegedly being stabbed by Tommaso Bèn Yousef Ismail Hosni in an attack recorded by video-surveillance cameras at the station.

Hosni is being held in Milan's San Vittore Prison pending formal charges.

Hosni carried out the attack with two kitchen knives after he was asked to produce ID, Milan Police Commissioner Marcello Cardona told journalists.

"He is not psychologically unbalanced," Cardona underlined, adding that Hosni had been living in a car on the outskirts of Milan and had sometimes slept rough at the central station. 

Hosni was overpowered by security personnel at the central station in "eight seconds" after the "bloody" attack, said Cardona.

Hosni said it was too early to say if the attack was terrorism.

Milan anti-terrorism prosecutors are probing the attack after it emerged that a Facebook profile registered under Hosni's name contained Islamic State propaganda videos and posts praising the jihadist group.