Attack on Australian, Chinese men "an act of revenge" against counter-terrorism efforts: police

Maldives Police Service has said that the stabbing of foreigners in the capital’s suburb, Hulhumalé, was “an act of revenge” by individuals with extremist ideologies in the Maldives.

Assistance Commissioner of Police, Mohamed Riyaz revealed this at a press conference held on Wednesday night, emphasizing that investigations prove that this was a “revenge attack” on the efforts against counter-terrorism operations.

He stressed that this was particularly aimed at the operations held in Maduvvari island of Raa atoll in late 2019. The operation was carried out together with gender ministry, and was prompted by the surfacing of a case of a 13-year-old child bride in November. While the 13-year-old had given birth shortly after, the story only broke after her rapist was violently attacked by his crew-mates on a sea-cucumber fishing boat over an ideological disagreement.

The three foreigners -one Australian and two Chinese; a tourist and worker- were stabbed on 4th February, and a video where a group of men -with their faces covered- are taking responsibility for the attack, was shared online; these men claim to be affiliated with the terrorist group, Islamic State.

Noting that an investigation was launched immediately, the assistant police commissioner said that they were able to locate crime scenes and investigate how the attacked unfolded through witness testimonies from the victims as well as those that took them to the hospital. He further noted that over 300 hours of CCTV footage from 75 locations had been analyzed in the investigation.

Eight people were arrested in connection to the attack; seven on February 13 and one on March 2, from Thimarafushi island in Thaa atoll.

Further noting that four people had been “actively” involved in the attack, ACP Riyaz said that the motorcycles used in the attack were located adding that the registration boards had been switched. Both were seized in the operation, and Riyaz said that electronic devices seized during search operations of their houses further implicated them. Police also found those assigned to dispose the weapon (a knife) as well as their clothes.

Stressing that the attack on the foreigners was to send a message to the police by an extremist cell active in the Malé region, the assistant police commissioner said that this was done to force them to stop their operations against terrorism.

Further, ACP Riyaz said that the case was forwarded for prosecution on April 19.

The Maduvvari operation was part of the efforts to combat extremism and terrorism, recruitment of people for such causes, and to create awareness in the minds of residents as well as to protect women and children who have been deprived of fundamental rights stated in the constitution.