MALDIVES: POLICE ARREST ‘KEY SUSPECT’ IN MAY 6 ATTACK ON EX-PRESIDENT NASHEED

Sun 09 May 2021:

The Maldives police said on Sunday that they had arrested a third person in connection with the attack on parliament speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed.

The first two suspects were arrested as part of the probe into the incident on Saturday.

Police say they now have in their custody three of the four suspects involved in the explosion, blamed on Islamic extremists.

Police did not provide further details on the suspect but appealed for more information about another man seen in the area of the attack.

“We can confirm that a third individual has been arrested in connection to #May06TerrorAttack early today,” the police tweeted, adding that the person is believed to be the prime suspect.

We can confirm that a third individual has been arrested in connection to #May06TerrorAttack early today.

We will keep sharing more developments as the investigation continues.

Please use https://t.co/jnzTcz2neU to share information related to #May06TerrorAttack

— Maldives Police (@PoliceMv) May 9, 2021

The 53-year-old politician was injured in a bomb blast in the capital of Male on Thursday and is currently recovering at a hospital. The incident reportedly occurred near Nasheed’s home and injured two other people his bodyguard and a bystander, who was identified as a foreign citizen. Police qualified the incident as a terrorist attack specifically targeting Nasheed.

WATCH | #Maldives Police releases video of Thursday’s blast. that injured former President & current speaker of the Parliament #Mohamed_Nasheed pic.twitter.com/ua2q2nwkZG

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) May 9, 2021

Hospital officials said the 53-year-old ex-president remains in an intensive care unit after surgeries to his head, chest, abdomen and limbs.

Family members said Nasheed was able to speak to close relatives after no longer needing life support.

The ex-president, now the parliament’s speaker, underwent 16 hours of surgery to remove shrapnel from his body. Doctors said shrapnel damaged his intestines and liver, and one shard narrowly missed his heart.

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent