Sixth person arrested in connection with stabbing in Hulhumale'

Police have arrested a sixth man in connection with an attack on foreigners in the district of Hulhumale’ in the capital Male’ city on February 4, 2020.

The man was arrested last night, and Serious and Organized Crime Department of Police’s head, Superintendent of Police, Hassan Shifaau stated last night that people with extremist religious ideology had a hand in the attack, confirming previous speculations.

The stabbings, which the police believe to have been perpetrated by violent extremists, had taken place between 19:00 and 20:00 on Tuesday. It had been carried out by two helmet-clad men on a motorcycle.

The victims were two Chinese men and one Australian man. None of them sustained serious injuries, and are in stable condition.

Police have arrested a total of six in connection with the attacks. The arrests came before and after a video emerged, on Wednesday night, on a local Telegram channel, claiming responsibility for the attack. The video shows three men standing side-by-side. The man in the center, who has a cloth covering his face, speaks, while the two men on the sides are blacked out with only their silhouettes visible.

He addresses the Maldivian leaders, who he calls “apostates” and says that the attack had been retribution for its crackdown on religious extremism.

“Your presumption that after deceiving the masses, you can snatch our wives and children from us and dismantle our families and then live in peace is false,” he says.

One of the victims has now been released from the hospital while the other two victims were also recovering. Police have stated that everyone behind the attack and those who assisted the attack in any manner would be brought before justice. The President has also stated that the government was committed to ensuring the maximum safety of expatriates and tourists in the country.