Maldives police say bomb blast targeting Nasheed ‘dangerous’ | Stories from the Maldives
So far no arrests have been made but police say they are looking for “four interested people” who were identified as suspected in the crime scene.
Amuna, Maldives – Maldives police say an explosion this left Mohamed Nasheed, the country’s former President and speaker of parliament here difficult it was “deliberately dangerous”.
The 53-year-old leader of the ruling party was rushed to a hospital in Male City, after a motorcycle-related weapon exploded at around 8.30pm on Thursday. He remains very cautious after “the last good, in-depth, life-saving performance”, ADK hospital on Friday.
Nasheed needed several surgeries for the 16th time to remove the fractures and treat traumatic injuries to the head, chest, abdomen and chest, the hospital sent a statement as police reported to reporters Friday afternoon.
President Nasheed did well in the final, difficult, lifesaving end of this afternoon. For the past 16 hours, she has undergone life-saving surgery on her head, chest, abdomen, and limbs. He remains sick.
– ADK Hospital (@ADKHospital) May 7, 2021
Police commissioner Mohamed Hameed said no arrests had been made, but authorities were trying to identify the “four celebrities” who were “identified as suspects in the crime scene”.
“The country’s security forces, including the Maldives National Defense Force, and the Maldives Police Service, are currently taking all necessary steps to ensure that citizens have security and promote security measures in the Male region,” he added.
Preliminary results indicate that the bomb was not made of “weapons”, says Commissioner-General of Police Mohamed Riyaz, adding that no links have been established with foreign “terrorist” organizations.
No mention has been made of the bomb blast that occurred when Nasheed was about to enter his car on the main road through the city.
Three Nasheed military leaders along with two others – a 41-year-old Maldivian man and a 70-year-old British man – were also slightly injured, said Hameed, who asked to be alerted to the non-satirical hotline.
Local media reported several wounds on one of the guards after the metal had been removed from his hands and feet.
Speaking on television, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih described the incident as “an uprising against the Maldives’ democracy and economy” and called for a “speedy and thorough investigation”.
Two Australian police officers are expected to arrive on Saturday morning to assist in the investigation while two British specialists from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Maldives are also working with the investigation team, Hameed said.
An investigation into the police’s failure to report what was about to happen, he admitted, with reporters asking if he wanted to step down.
