LONDON, April 13, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine said Saturday they were "shocked and saddened" by a stabbing at a shopping centre in Sydney that left six people dead and several others wounded.

The incident occurred at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex, which was packed with thousands of Saturday afternoon shoppers.

Australian police said multiple people were stabbed by the unidentified assailant, who was tracked down and shot dead by a policewoman.

"We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events in Sydney earlier today," the Prince and Princess of Wales said in a post on the social media site X.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the loved ones of those lost and the heroic emergency responders who risked their own lives to save others. W & C," they added.

The 41-year-old William's father King Charles III is the monarch of Australia.

Catherine announced last month that she was undergoing treatment for a cancer discovered following abdominal surgery.

Her shock disclosure came after Charles revealed that he was receiving treatment for an unspecified cancer.

Both have taken a back seat from frontline royal duties as they recuperate.