A nine-month-old baby has undergone surgery after being attacked during a stabbing spree by a knifeman in a Sydney shopping centre.

It has been reported that the baby’s mother died in hospital after the attack by a lone knifeman.

Australian website News.com.au reported that the baby was stabbed in the stomach and the mother had subsequently died in hospital.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb told a press conference: “The last update I had was that it (the baby) had been in surgery and it’s too early to say really. But it’s awful.”

Asked about reports that the baby’s mother had died in hospital, Ms Webb said: “I’ve heard that same rumour but I can’t confirm that.”

A witness to the stabbings said he helped the baby and mother after they were attacked.

The man told 9News Sydney: “The baby got stabbed. The mum got stabbed and came over with a baby and threw it at me – I was holding the baby, it looked pretty bad.

“There was a lot of blood on the floor. I hope the baby is all right.”

The man’s brother said: “He helped with holding the baby and trying to compress the baby and same with the mother.

“We just kept yelling out to get some clothes, get some shirts and just help us to compress and stop the baby from bleeding.

“With my brother holding the baby so well and really compressing, I think the baby’s fine.

“The mother, unfortunately, started to have a lot of blood come out of her mouth.”

The man added: “We were just shopping and saw the man run up to the woman with the baby and then we were both ready to go and help out.

“But I just said to my brother, we’ve got to run in – ran in, told the guys to lock up the doors and then the mother came with the baby bleeding, stabbed. We got them into the store and just got them safe and then rang for help.”