Malmesbury mosque attacker a stranger who ‘sought shelter’

The Malmesbury mosque attacker who killed two men was reportedly a stranger who had asked for shelter on Wednesday night.

The attack occurred on Thursday morning at a mosque in Malmesbury, near Cape Town. The attacker allegedly stabbed two people to death before he was shot and killed by the police when he refused to surrender.

SowetanLIVE reports the attacker sought shelter at the mosque on Wednesday night and had asked to take part in the Islamic prayers, which are held over the last 10 days of Ramadan – the i’tikaaf night prayers.

According to the report, one of the victims had his throat cut in his sleep.

According to the police, the suspect, believed to be in his 30s, was shot and killed at the scene by officers who had tried to persuade him to surrender.

In a Facebook post, the Muslim Judicial Council SA said it was shocked by the brutal attack.

“We do not have any further details as yet, but we urge the community not to jump to any conclusions until clarity can be given.

“The MJC president and his deputies are on their way to the Masjied. We will update the community as soon as possible,” the post reads.

Last month, a mosque in KwaZulu-Natal was attacked in which an imam had his throat slit and two others were viciously stabbed.

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