A suspected killer is being sought by West Yorkshire Police over the knife murder of a woman who was out pushing her baby in a pram on Saturday.

An “Asian man, of slim build” named as Habibur Masum is being sought by British police in a nationwide manhunt over the shocking killing of a woman in the Westgate area of Bradford, Yorkshire on Saturday. The 27-year-old woman was said to have been out walking with her baby when she was attacked by a man with a knife. She was taken to hospital but died of her wounds.

The baby was not harmed.

Police said the attack happened “in broad daylight in a busy area of Bradford and been witnessed by a number of people”, and that the alleged perpetrator and victim were known to one another. Although a knife was found at the scene, the alleged attacker may still be armed, they said, and urged the public not to approach the man if spotted. He is thought to have links to the town Burnley, an hour West over what had traditionally been known as Brontë Country in the south Pennines, and the city of Chester.

The BBC cites the remarks of West Yorkshire’s deputy mayor for policing and crime Alison Lowe, who spoke to BBC radio to say of the manhunt: “Habibur Masum is still at large. There is a very complex investigation currently ongoing with all forces in the country trying to locate the suspect.

“We don’t think this was a random killing, the police know the two people were known to each other.”

A priest at the city’s Anglican cathedral said of the killing: “Being towards the end of Ramadan, it’s a terrible time for this to have happened… Bradford is a young and vibrant city”.

Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson said: “We have had significant resources following up a number of lines of enquiry to locate Habibur Masum but at this time his whereabouts are unknown… We understand that the murder of a young woman in such shocking circumstances has caused considerable concern in the local community. Residents can expect to continue to see a significant police presence in Bradford as we make further enquiries and conduct reassurance patrols in the area.”