Eighteen individuals have been arrested on Wednesday in connection to the attacks that occurred in Kolamaafushi, Gaafu Alif the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) campaign office.
The attack was reported to the Police by PPM promptly.
According to PPM, considerable harm was caused to the campaign office, including the cutting of the party's pennant flag lines and damage to a monument placed at the office, as well as the overall structure of the office.
Furthermore, 10 supporters of PPM present at the time of the incident, suffered injuries during the attack and are currently seeking treatment.
Negating the claims made by PPM, Kolamaafushi council member Ibrahim Waheed alleged that the instigator of the attack was, in fact, a member of PPM.
Waheed further reported that it was the opposition coalition supporters that were first besieged by the alleged PPM-supporting vandals, during preparations for the arrival of opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on September 1, 2018.
"We were hanging up our pennant flag banners when PPM supporters also wanted to do so in the same area. We tried to stop them but were promptly attacked and our flags subsequently removed. This ignited a fight between us, with a pack of our people attacking the PPM office in retaliation", stated the MDP's council member.
During the press conference held by PPM on Wednesday, PPM's parliamentary leader Ahmed Nihan called the alleged attackers 'felonious', firmly stating that it was two MDP members that instigated the attacks in Kolamaafushi.
Minister of Home Affairs Ahmed Azleen, strongly condemned the attacks that took place in Kolamaafushi. In a statement given to Public Service Media (PSM), Ahmed Azleen identified the attacks as an act of terrorism, stating that thematter will be looked into very seriously.
While these attacks are being heavily investigated by the Police, supporters of the ruling party have intruded on and attacked their opposition MDP, though they have been thus far uninvestigated. A supporter of PPM has even blatantly threatened to 'behead' the former president Mohamed Nasheed.
These matters have been reported to the Police by MDP. However, as of yet, no investigations have been conducted.
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