Malé, Maldives – Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has revealed that armed military personnel have started to patrol in atolls of the Maldives outside of Greater Malé Area.
MNDF stated that this was decided in order to strengthen the security within the Maldives following the assassination attempt on Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed on May 6, 2021.
This comes while Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed has departed to Germany earlier today on a private air ambulance after his treatments from ADK Hospital following the injuries suffered by the IED explosion.
The IED explosion went off around 20:20 on 6 May leaving Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed critically injured while he was getting in to his car near his house, G. Kenereege, Malé City. In addition to him, 3 more people were also been reported to be injured from the explosion including the Speaker’s bodyguards and bystanders.
Nasheed was brought in with heavy bleeding, and both internal and external shrapnel injuries. Ball bearings were found in Nasheed’s chest, near the heart. Injuries caused by these projectiles caused life threatening damage to the chest area. Nasheed endured major injury to the fourth rib, with a blade going through a lung. A projectile also went through his intestine with another near his liver. Nasheed is currently being treated at the Critical Care Unit of ADK hospital in Malé.
Three suspects have been arrested thus far are:
- Adhuham Ahmed Rasheed, 25 years old, V. Thinadhoo
- Mujaaz Ahmed, 21, Ma. Feyruge, Malé
- Thahumeen Ahmed, 32, Folheymaage, GA.Kondey
While the three suspects have been remanded for 15 days by criminal court, terrorism charges have been brought upon all three. On the remand verdict, Judge Adam Mohamed had stated that there was enough evidence against all three for hearing the case.
While Maldives Police and MNDF has come under public scrutiny after stating that they had not gotten any prior intelligence reports on the matter, CP Hameed told that there was major room for improvement within the state to share information and the an ‘autopsy’ in to why police had not received intelligence regarding such an attack would be carried out.
During a press conference held on May 8, 2021, Chief of Defence Force, Major General Abdulla Shamaal told that the IED was an improvised one which was controlled remotely and set off as Speaker Nasheed was about to get in to his car on May 6, 2021.
He also added that the IED was several times stronger than the one which was set off at Sultan Park in 2007 and also revealed that last nights one had ball bearings inside as shrapnel to increase the damage caused.
Major General Abdulla Shamaal also added that MNDF had requested relevant authorities to remove the motorcycles being part at Neelofaru Road where Speaker Nasheed’s home is located amid security assessments done by MNDF.
He also told that MNDF leadership believed that there was a hand of any MNDF personnel involved in the attack and that no such information was received so far as well. Chief Shamaal also commended the response of the Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel who were giving protection to Speaker Nasheed following the blast last night.
