Ilyas Habibi: International manhunt after teen stabbed to death

Ilyas Habibi was involved in an altercation before he died, police said

An international manhunt is under way to locate a man involved in an altercation before a teenager was stabbed to death in south London.

Ilyas Habibi, 17, was found with knife wounds near Sutton railway station at about 19:00 GMT on 5 December.

The Met Police said it had identified a suspect who Ilyas was believed to have had an altercation with beforehand.

However, the force said officers then discovered he had left the country from Gatwick Airport on 9 December.

Another man, aged 19, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and was later released on bail.

Stabbed in neck

The Met said Ilyas had arrived at Sutton High Street by train and, minutes after he came out of the station, he was involved in "an altercation with a single suspect who then fled the scene".

Officers found Ilyas suffering from knife injuries and paramedics treated him, but he died at the scene at 19:53 GMT.

A post-mortem examination gave his cause of death as a stab wound to the neck.

The Met said officers continued "to work with international partners to locate and arrest the suspect".

It added Ilyas's family had been kept informed and were being supported by specially trained officers.

It comes as an inquest into the teen's death was opened at South London Coroner's Court on Thursday.

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