Three kids stabbed in The Hague main shopping street, Dutch police reports

An attacker is on the run after stabbing three children in a major city in The Netherlands, as frightening footage emerges.

Three minors who were injured in a stabbing in The Hague’s main shopping street have been released from hospital.

Police said they were still hunting a male suspect following the attack, which happened at the Hudson’s Bay department store in Grote Marktstraata, in the centre of the city in The Netherlands.

Two of the victims are believed to be young teenage girls, Dutch broadcaster NOS reports.

“I saw two girls screaming and running away. A man fled,” one witness said, according to the broadcaster.

“He jumped very athletically over benches to get away. He looked like a cheetah,” the witness continued.

Forensic experts look for clues on the scene of a stabbing incident in the center of The Hague. Picture: AP/Phil Nijhuis

It is understood all three victims have since left hospital.

The area was busy at the time as shoppers looked for Black Friday holiday deals.

Video has emerged showing people fleeing for their lives, according to footage obtained by BNO News.

“It was so scary I didn’t know what was happening,” a user wrote on Twitter alongside the video.

The Hague police said in a statement that they were looking for a man, about 45 to 50 years old, in a grey jogging suit.

Dutch police say multiple people have been injured in a stabbing incident in The Hague's main shopping street. Picture: AP/Phil Nijhuis

Dutch media said police were still keeping an open mind about the incident, which came hours after two people were stabbed to death in a terror-related attack in London.

“All three victims of the stabbing incident in Grote Marktstraat are minors. We are in contact with their families,” The Hague police said on Twitter. The police did not give their ages.

“We are still looking for the perpetrator,” they said, adding that they were conducting “extensive investigations.” “We are currently taking all scenarios into account,” a Dutch police spokeswoman was quoted as saying by the ANP news agency.

Police spokeswoman Marije Kuiper told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that it was not clear if the stabbing was a terror incident.

Kuiper said it was unclear whether any of the injuries were life-threatening.

The stabbing happened in the heart of The Hague shopping district where supermarket chains and luxury shops were all lit up with early Christmas decorations. Adding to the festive spirit was the lure of Black Friday, when retailers offers consumers special discounts at a time when many are seeking family presents.

Police sealed off a wide perimeter behind which onlookers were kept at bay.

A Dutch police officer secures a bag with items from the scene of a stabbing incident. Picture: AP/Phil Nijhuis

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the knife attacks in London and The Hague were “despicable”.

“Just terrible news out of London and The Hague,” Mr Morrison said in a post on Facebook this morning.

“Whether it has been the despicable acts of terrorists in the UK, or as yet not determined in the Netherlands, Australians’ deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families - they were innocent people going about their lives.”

The Netherlands had already been shocked by a similar stabbing in Amsterdam a year ago when two Americans were injured in a knife attack that prosecutors say had a “terrorist motive”.

It comes as three people have been killed – including an attacker – at London Bridge in London.

The man shot by police was wearing a suicide vest that police believe was a hoax, however extensive police cordons remain in place in the surrounding area after the incident, about 2pm on Friday afternoon, local time.

More to come