Police in Salé city, near Rabat, apprehended a 30-year-old man early Sunday morning, for assaulting an imam in a mosque with a bladed weapon, security sources reported. The suspect appeared to show signs of mental illness.
The suspect, in an altered state, entered the mosque and attempted to take the imam’s place during prayer; when stopped, he attacked the imam with a knife.
The victim was transported to a hospital for treatment, and the suspect was taken into custody pending further investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office.
The authorities have initiated an investigation to identify the motives behind the attack and to conduct psychological and psychiatric assessments of the suspect.