The Maldives' justice minister was recovering from a hammer attack on Wednesday, a rare type of attack on a public official, in the archipelago known as a luxury tourist destination.
Hussain Shameem was on his way to work when an unidentified attacker lunged at him and injured his left arm, a police official told AFP.
In a Facebook post, Hussain Shameem, who said he had returned home to his family, pledged to continue his work, also sharing a photo of himself with his arm in a sling.
“I was attacked this morning (...) my left hand was broken,”
he wrote, without giving further details of the incident.
“Back home with my family, I will come back to work harder and get back to running, cycling and swimming even faster
,” Shameem added.
Political motives?
The Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), the main opposition party, said the attack was politically motivated.
But police said they suspected a link to criminal proceedings brought by Shameem, a veteran lawyer who became justice minister in 2019.
The attack came three days after violent scenes in parliament, which erupted when lawmakers rejected three nominations for ministerial posts, including that of the justice minister.
Ruling party lawmakers attempted Sunday to block a vote by the main opposition party - which with its allies holds a majority in parliament - on the cabinet appointed by recently elected President Mohamed Muizzu.
Videos posted on social media show at least one parliamentarian bleeding from the neck after being caught in a violent melee inside the chamber, leading to the temporary suspension of work.
Lawmakers were seen snatching microphones and using plastic trumpets to disrupt proceedings, amid scenes of chaos.
According to police, there is no immediate link between the two incidents.