Maldives leader escapes attack
Knife-wielding man lunged at President Gayoom while he was on a tour of the island.
Published On 10 Jan 2008
Media reports quoted him as saying that Gayoom was unhurt after the incident and that the attacker was in custody.
“The knife did catch [Gayoom’s] shirt,” Shareef said.
“He was saved by a boy who moved in the way and tried to grab the knife and suffered a serious injury to his hand.”
Speaking from Male, the capital, Mohamed Nasheed, the information minister, said: “The president was greeting people when a young boy pulled out a knife and tried to stab him in the stomach.”
The motive for the attack was not known, police said.
They said investigations are being conducted.
The Indian Ocean island, a favoured destination for tourists and honeymooners, has been tense since a bomb attack in September last year injured 12 foreign tourists.
Three men convicted of carrying out the bombing were last month each jailed for 15 years.
Source: News Agencies