The main suspect in the Nasheed bombing has been arrested: Maldives police Maldives News

Three of the four suspects behind the blast that seriously injured the former president are under arrest.

Maldives police said on Sunday that they had arrested a person believed to be the main suspect in the blast that seriously injured the country’s former president.

Police said they now have three of the four suspects arrested. Thursday’s blast was led by Mohamed Nasheed, now the speaker of parliament, who is recovering in hospital after undergoing numerous surgeries.

Police did not provide details about the latest suspect or his origin, but confirmed in a text message that they believe he was the person who released the photos on Saturday, as authorities asked for public assistance in identifying him. The fourth suspect is released.

Officials blamed the attack on the “extremists” for the religious, although investigators still do not know which group was responsible. Two Nasheed bodyguards and two apparent friends, including a British citizen, were also injured.

Life-saving surgery

Nasheed has been a strong critic of the harsh religion in a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation, where the law forbids the preaching and practice of other faiths. Tough religious have criticized the closeness to the West and liberal policies.

According to hospital officials, Nasheed, 53, remains in an intensive care unit after undergoing his first life-saving operation on his head, chest, abdomen and limbs. A relative tweeted early Sunday that Nasheed may have had lengthy conversations with some family members.

The blast shrapnel damaged Nasheed’s intestines and liver and part of the shrapnel broke his rib and was less than an inch from his heart, hospital officials said.

Australian Federal Police officials were assisting in the investigation following a request from the Maldives. A British researcher was also due to arrive in the Indian Ocean archipelago on Sunday.

Nasheed was the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, and served from 2008 to 2012, when he resigned amid protests. He was defeated in the next presidential election, and was unable to serve in prison for the 2018 race, but has remained an influential political figure.

He has defended global efforts to combat climate change, with particular warnings that the sea caused by global warming is rising in the low-lying islands of the archipelago.

The Maldives is known for its luxury resorts, but has occasionally suffered violent attacks. In 2007, an explosion in a park in the capital injured 12 tourists and was also blamed on harsh religion.

The Maldives, along with the ISIL (ISIS) group, has one of the largest populations in Syria and Iraq.

Authorities reported in January that eight people arrested in November were planning to attack a school and were in the process of building bombs on a ship at sea. Police said the suspects conducted military training on uninhabited islands and hired children.