One person has been stabbed to death and two others have been injured in what is being described as a series of 'random attacks' in Ireland.

Gardai arrested a heavily-armed teenager born in North Africa and officers are investigating if three separate incidents are terror related.

The knife attack happened shortly before 9am in Dundalk and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The attacker has been identified as an 18-year-old Egyptian who had been in contact with the police on New Year's Day with regards his immigration status.

The body of one of the victims is removed from the scene of a fatal attack on Avenue Road, Dundalk this morning just after 9am

Two forensic officers are suited up in the middle of the street where a Japanese man is said to have been killed in a knife attack

A forensic tent is erected in Dundalk this morning. Three scenes were preserved for technical examination in Avenue Road, Inner Relief Road and Seatown, County Louth, police said

Three scenes were preserved for technical examination in Avenue Road, Inner Relief Road and Seatown, County Louth, police said.

The stabbing victim is a 24-year-old Japanese man working in Irleland and the two injured in separate attacks are Irish.

Their conditions are unknown at this stage but one was assaulted with an iron bar or similar object like a fence pole and the other was also stabbed.

Police officers confronted and disarmed the attacker, who was said to be carrying a number of weapons.

Investigators are working to establish whether or not the knifeman knew his victims and whether the incident was planned.

Gardai have not established a definite motive for the violent spree, but Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan said a potential terror link was being investigated.

'A terror attack is a line of inquiry,' he said.

'It is certainly a line that we would look at. We will endeavour to establish the suspect's background, who they are and where they have come from and why are they here.

'Those are the very important questions we are endeavouring to ask and answer. And as to why the attacks took place, why an innocent bystander going about their work would be attacked in the middle of Dundalk in the morning slightly before 9am.'

Garda officers close of the road and a forensic tent can be seen erected on the left and side of the road, straddling the road and the pavement

Mr Mangan declined to confirm whether a potential mental health link was another line of inquiry.

He said the suspect had come into contact with gardai on January 1 when inquiries about his immigration status were conducted.

The senior officer said he believed the teenager was seeking asylum in the Irish Republic.

Mr Mangan said he believed the perpetrator was on foot and the victims were selected at random.

'There is nothing to suggest whatsoever that any of these people involved in the attack and the subsequent assaults were known to each other,' he said.

'It would certainly appear to be random and unprovoked.'

He said there was no evidence that anyone assisted the attacker.

Mr Mangan said gardai were making efforts to contact the dead man's relatives.

'It is going to be very, very hard for the family,' he said.

'They have someone over here working and the next thing they get attacked and killed in a foreign country.'

He said the investigation would have an international dimension and gardai would be liaising with the authorities in Egypt.

Councillor Ruairi O Murchu lives close to the scene of the attack in Avenue Road.

He said there was major concern among local people.

'The community is in shock,' said the Sinn Fein representative.

'Our thoughts are with the family of the person killed and those that have been injured.'

A police officers and a man in trainers and a long, white coat talk near the scene of the crime

One person has died and two others have been injured in what is being described as a 'random stabbing attack' in Ireland

The series of attacks started when the Japanese man was fatally stabbed on Avenue Road shortly before 9am.

An Irish man was stabbed a short time later on nearby Coes Road.

At 9.40am gardai received a report that another local man was attacked with a fence pole at Seatown Place.

Neither of the two Irish victims sustained serious injuries.

The suspect was arrested at around 9.45am on Inner Relief Road in Dundalk.

He has been detained at Dundalk Garda Station.

Sniffer dogs were seen on the streets this morning and a forensic tent was erected on Avenue Road, straddling the pavement and the road.

Surrounding roads remained closed as police worked to establish the chain of events.

Forensic officers were seen entering and exiting the tent, and a body was reportedly seen being carried away from the scene.