Three people were stabbed in Malé on Tuesday afternoon amid a recent spike in violent crimes in the capital.
A young man was stabbed in the back near the Supreme Court around 1:45 pm and two others were stabbed near the AMDC clinic about half an hour later.
The police spokesman declined to provide further details, citing ongoing investigations, but confirmed that no arrests have been made so far.
According to media reports, a couple was stabbed inside their home in the second assault. All three victims were rushed to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital for the treatment of injuries.
The police meanwhile came under fire after photos of a man near the Supreme Court with blood seeping from a back wound began circulating on social media. The incident occurred while scores of police officers were active outside the nearby criminal court as opposition supporters gathered for the hearings of two lawmakers.
Tuesday’s incidents came in the wake of several stabbings in Malé after a period of calm.
A man was stabbed outside the Vilimalé ferry terminal around 08:35 pm last Wednesday, followed by another stabbing near Alcyon bakery around 9 pm the same night.
A 22-year-old man was stabbed near the Nalahiya building on Saturday.
On July 6, a young man sustained head injuries after a fight between rival gangs near the Henveiru park. According to media reports, gang members were armed with iron rods and wooden planks.
The police spokesman was unable to provide the total number of reported assault cases this month.
On Wednesday, the police alleged that “some groups are deliberately trying to disrupt the peace in Malé and the atolls” and announced that special measures would be taken to maintain public order and safety in the capital.
Some 13 suspects were arrested over the weekend after the police launched a special operation to curb gang violence.
Eight suspects were arrested Thursday evening and five were arrested from the Raanbaa restaurant on Friday.
According to police statistics, 434 cases of assault have so far been reported this year. Some 776 cases of assault were reported in 2016, down from 932 in 2015.
In late April, police apprehended four suspects – including one minor – in connection to two separate gang assaults in capital Malé.
An 18-year-old man was also stabbed in Malé amid a spike in violent assaults last November. He recovered after undergoing surgery for severe head injuries.
The police at the time arrested 20 suspects and impounded three motorbikes. The 20 young men included suspects in recent assaults as well as repeat offenders taken into custody to prevent further violence, the police said.
The assaults came after a period of calm after a spike in gang violence last June saw two 14-year-old boys killed in a fight between rival groups. They were the youngest victims of gang violence in the Maldives.
After the fatal stabbings, former Home Minister Umar Naseer blamed juvenile delinquency on “blind love” from parents and announced plans to send off minors involved in gangs to a police training facility on the island of Vaanee in Dhaalu Atoll.
Some 19 teenagers were sent to a two-month training camp on the island that concluded in August.
In the wake of the violence in June, suspected gang members were also monitored through electronic tags, a measure introduced in the new anti-terrorism law.
