Blood-coated Australian tourist takes motorbike to hospital after he is stabbed in terror attack in the Maldives - and group affiliated with Islamic State claims responsibility
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
- An Australian man was stabbed in a terrorist attack in the Maldives on Tuesday
- The bloodied man, 44, was rushed to hospital on the back of a moped by a local
- Two Chinese man were also wounded in the attack on the Indian Ocean island
- A Maldivian radical group linked to IS claimed that they carried out the attack
- In an online video, the group warned that they were planning more attacks
- On Thursday, three men with suspected links to the Islamic State were arrested
An Australian man, 44, was stabbed in a terror attack and rushed to hospital on the back of a moped in the Maldives.
Two Chinese men were also wounded during the attack on the island of Hulhumale, in the north atoll of the Maldives, at 7pm on Tuesday.
In distressing footage, the bloodied Australian man, who worked in the city, can be seen on the back of a moped being rushed to hospital.
A Maldivian radical group linked to the Islamic State took responsibility for the attack in a video posted online on Wednesday.
An Australian man (pictured) was stabbed in a terror attack and rushed to hospital on the back of a moped in the Maldives. Two Chinese men were also wounded during the attack on the island of Hulhumale, in the north atoll of the Maldives, at 7pm on Tuesday
The Australian can be seen bleeding from his shoulder on the back of a moped while being driven to get treatment in shocking footage filmed by a local man.
Once at the hospital, he hobbled through the emergency room doors while clutching his right shoulder.
Not much is known about the Australian victim, other than that he wore glasses, was of Caucasian appearance and worked in Hulhumale.
One of the Chinese men also worked in the city while the other was a tourist.
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On Thursday, Maldives police arrested three men and were probing their suspected links with Islamic State, officials said.
A Maldivian radical group linked to the Islamic State took responsibility for the attack in a video posted online, on Wednesday.
One masked man, speaking in the local language Dhivehi, accused the Maldivian government of being run by infidels and warned of further attacks in the clip.
'As for what will follow (of attacks), you fail to perceive where and when it will take place', he said in the video.
He also accused Maldivian politicians of stealing the wives and children of extremists and said the attacks were revenge for this.
Once at the hospital, the Australian hobbled through the emergency room doors while clutching his right shoulder. Not much is known about the Australian victim, other than that he wore glasses, was of Caucasian appearance and worked in Hulhumale
Police said they were working to confirm the veracity of the video.
In a statement, Maldives Police said: 'We are continuously monitoring the status of the victims of this heinous attack. Their condition is reported to be stable.
'We are also establishing the validity of a video circulating on social media claiming to be related to this attack.
'The Maldives Police Service is working closely with all relevant stakeholders in this matter and assures the public of our continued efforts to ensure the safety and security of all those in Maldives.'
Last year, a 35-year-old man identified as a leader for Islamic State in the Maldives by the U.S. authorities was arrested for allegedly leading Islamic State recruitment in the mainly Sunni Muslim nation.
The archipelago in the Indian Ocean derives much of its income from tourism.
A 44-year-old Australian man is in Hulhumale Hospital (pictured) after the incident, according to the ABC. All three victims are in stable condition, according to police
On Thursday, Maldives police arrested three men and were probing their suspected links with Islamic State after a radical group took responsibility. Pictured: Hulhumale island
Islamic State claimed responsibility for deadly bombings in Sri Lanka in April last year, and has been looking to bolster its presence in the sub-continent after being driven out of its self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
The Maldives parliament has given sweeping investigative powers to counter-terrorism agencies, and authorities have stepped up operations against hardline Islamist groups.
The small island nation lies southwest of India and Sri Lanka and 1,000 kilometres of the Asian continent.
The 2008 constitution states that the republic 'is based on the principles of Islam' and that 'no law contrary to any principle of Islam can be applied'.
Non-Muslims are prohibited from becoming citizens and the public practice of a faith other than Islam is forbidden.
The Maldives Police Service described the attack as 'an act of violence perpetrated by suspected extremists against three foreign nationals'
