Two injured in knife attack during Fajr prayers at Westlands mosque

Two worshippers were injured following a knife attack that sent shockwaves through the Rabita Mosque in Westlands during Fajr prayers on Saturday, 28 February.

The early morning calm was disrupted when an unidentified man, reportedly a regular worshipper at the mosque, attacked congregants with a knife as the prayers were concluding. Witnesses say the suspect suddenly turned violent, catching worshippers off guard at the end of the prayer session.

In a dramatic turn of events, the attacker reportedly rushed to shut the mosque doors, seemingly attempting to prevent worshippers from leaving the premises. However, several congregants quickly responded, abandoning the prayer proceedings to confront him. After a brief struggle, they managed to overpower the suspect, leaving him unconscious with injuries sustained during the confrontation.

According to reports, the suspect had been attending Fajr prayers regularly over the past few months but kept to himself and rarely interacted with other congregants. Some worshippers expressed concern that he may be mentally unstable.

Police officers responded swiftly to the scene and arrested the suspect. Authorities have since launched investigations to determine the motive behind the attack and to establish the mental state of the suspect at the time of the incident.

The incident has raised concerns among members of the local Muslim community, with calls for heightened security and vigilance at mosques.