Man stabs Algeria imam mosque

An imam of a mosque was seriously injured after he was stabbed by an unknown person who attacked him after the noon prayer in northwestern Algeria.

Algerian media outlets reported that Sheikh Saeed Tamtiri, imam of Ali Ibn Abi Talib Mosque, in the state of Tlemcen, was stabbed after Monday afternoon prayers with a dagger in the shoulder area.

According to sources, the imam underwent an urgent surgery after being transferred to the hospital, given that the stab wound reached the lung, and he is now in a stable condition under medical supervision.

The perpetrator, who first assaulted a young man, causing him facial wounds, and then attacked the imam, had previously assaulted a Quran teacher and caused damage to a mosque. The motives behind his attack are yet unknown.

The Director of Religious Affairs and Endowments in Tlemcen and local officials visited the imam to check on him and find out the reasons of the incident, to initiate legal procedures.

The incident caused a state of great resentment on social media sites, especially since it is not the first time that an imam of a mosque has been attacked.