Maldives TV station attacked

Unidentified men in masks attacked a private television channel in the Maldives that backs ousted leader Mohamed Nasheed and set it on fire on Monday (October 7), police said.

TV employees said men in masks armed with knives entered the building, attacked a guard, broke a door and poured petrol on the station floor.

Closed circuit television footage provided by Raajje TV showed footage of the break-in, as well as the damage from the fire.

The Maldives, a tropical Indian Ocean resort archipelago, cancelled a presidential run-off election that was due to take place on September 28 after the Supreme Court ordered officials to postpone it. Nasheed had won a first round on September 7 but did not get enough votes for an outright victory.