Comoros President Azali Assoumani survives a knife attack

In what could be an assassination attempt, Comoros President Azali Assoumani survived a knife attack, his administration reported, noting that the attacker has since been taken into custody following the unprecedented incident.

According to the spokesperson of the presidency, the incident took place 2 p.m. local time on Friday in Salimani Itsandara, a town located in the northern parts of the capital, Moroni.

Police are yet to establish the motive of the attack in the rather peaceful Indian Ocean nation, whose political stability and tolerance is way above board in African pilots, senior officials confirmed.

"President Azali Assoumani was slightly injured with a knife during the funeral of a great sheik of the country. His injuries are not serious, and he has returned home," government spokesperson Fatima Ahamada told Reuters.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear, they added, noting that the incident caught security teams off guard as they wrestled the attackers who were later subdued due to strong efforts by presidential guards.

The source from the town of Salimani Itsandra added that the attacker is a former policeman in his 20s, Reuters reports.

In May, Assoumani was sworn in for a fourth term in office following a tense January election which his opponents claim was tainted by voter fraud. His opponents have been opposing his leadership for the last eight months.

GAROWE ONLINE