Police at mosque where Auckland attacker lived

Police forensic teams in New Zealand investigated an Auckland mosque on Saturday, following a terror attack in the city which injured seven people.

The perpetrator was an extremist inspired by the Islamic state group, and had been living at the Glen Eden mosque under court-ordered supervision.

On Friday, the man unleashed a knife attack at an Auckland supermarket. Armed police, who had been tailing him, shot and killed him within 60 seconds.

Six of the injured are in hospital, with three in a critical condition. The remaining victim has been discharged from hospital and is now recovering at home.

The attacker was a Sri Lankan national who was well known to the New Zealand's security agencies.

A police surveillance team and a specialist tactics group had followed him to the supermarket.

But while they had grave concerns about the man, they had no particular reason to think he was planning an attack on Friday.

The man appeared to be going into the store to do his grocery shopping.

Witnesses said the man shouted "Allahu akbar" — meaning "God is great" — and started stabbing random shoppers, sending people running and screaming.

When the commotion started, two police from the special tactics group rushed over. The man charged at the officers with the knife and so they shot and killed him.

Auckland is in a strict lockdown as it battles a new outbreak of the coronavirus.

Most businesses are shut and people are generally allowed to leave their homes only to buy groceries, for medical needs or to exercise.