Portuguese police have shot a man suspected of stabbing two women to death at an Ismaili Muslim centre in Lisbon.

The women were Portuguese staff members at the centre, Ismaili community leader Narzim Ahmad told Portuguese TV channel SIC.

Police were called to the centre on Tuesday morning where they encountered a suspect “armed with a large knife”, a police statement said.

Officers ordered him to surrender but he advanced toward them and was “neutralised”, the statement said. The suspect was taken to a Lisbon hospital where he is in police custody.

Several other people were wounded but police provided no further details.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa told reporters the attack was “a criminal act”.

“Everything points to this being an isolated incident,” Mr Costa said.

There was no immediate word on the identity of those killed.

Armed police from a special operations unit could be seen forming a perimeter outside the building. Mr Costa said police were investigating the attack and it was too soon to speculate about a motive.

The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally known as the Ismailis, belong to the Shia branch of Islam. They are a culturally diverse community living in more than 25 countries around the world.

Portugal hasn’t recorded any significant terror attacks in recent decades, and religious violence is virtually unheard of in the country.