Maldives frees terror suspect

Maldivian national Iqbal Mohammed, whose arrest was billed by both Pakistan and Interpol as a major success in averting terror attack on the World Cup, has been released on a court order in Male.

Iqbal was arrested six hours after leaving Karachi for Male via Colombo on March 10.

He was wanted by Maldives in connection with a 2007 terror bombing. Though there was no official word either from Islamabad or Interpol, his release has confirmed India's doubts over the claim made by both Pakistan and Interpol.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Nine Maldives jihadists held in Pakistan

Nine Maldives-based jihadists have been held in Pakistan’s troubled Waziristan province — sparking renewed concern about the use of the Indian Ocean islands as staging-posts for attacks against India’s western coast.

Maldives Minister of Defence and National Security Ameen Faisal told Malé-based journalists that the nine men had been arrested in the troubled Waziristan region of north-western Pakistan, close to the Afghanistan border.

Large swathes of lawless Waziristan are controlled by Taliban insurgents, while Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda is also known to maintain a significant presence in the region.

Eight of the men were identified as Yoosuf Izadhy, 38, of Nicosia in the Malé atoll; Ahmed Ashraf, 31, of Vaikaradhoo; Abdullah Sameer, 38, of Lhaimagu; Ali Faiz, 31, of Vaikaradhoo; Moosa Yoosuf, 30, of Kalhaidhoo; Yoosuf Mohammed, 52, also of Kalhaidhoo; Mohammad Zuhree, 28, of Dhaandhoo; Ali Shafeeq, 25, of Kandholhudhoo and Arif Ahmed, whose personal details have not been released.

Pakistani authorities are reported to have held six of the men in raids on March 11, and six more men on March 12. No details were made available, though, on which jihadist group the men were involved with, and who had arranged for their recruitment in the Maldives.

Malé-based newspaper Minivan News reported that at least one of the men had earlier been held on suspicion of having participated in the September 2007 bombing of Malé’s Sultan Park, which left 12 tourists injured. However, Shafeeq was later cleared of all charges and released.

Growing concern

Concerns about the use of the Maldives by Islamist terror groups has been mounting since 2006, when evidence emerged that Dhaka-based Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Faisal Haroon had explored plans to use the islands as a logistical base.

In the wake of the Sultan Park bombing, 10 key suspects escaped to Pakistan, where they were thought to be sheltered by elements linked to the Lashkar. Maldives authorities are now preparing the trial of one of the fugitive suspects, who was arrested on his return to Malé in January. Three who failed to secure their escape were sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2007.

Growing numbers of Maldives nationals have been drawn to Pakistan-based Islamist groups in recent years. Many were recruited by the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s charitable front, the Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq, which carried out extensive relief operations in the southern atolls after the 2005 tsunami.

For example, Mohammed Faseehu, from the Laam atoll island of Dhanbidhoo, and Shifahu Abdul Wahid, of Dhiffushi island in Kaaf atoll, were reported killed in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2007. Both men had travelled to Pakistan to study at the Jamia Salafiyya. Speaking to journalists last month, Maldives Human Rights Commission president Ahmed said several similar complaints about the death of Maldives nationals had been received.

Investigators also found Ali Shameem and Abdul Latheef Ibrahim, held in 2007 for their role in the Sultan Park bombing, had also been planning to join the jihad in Jammu and Kashmir. Another Maldives national, Ibrahim Asif, was arrested in Kerala in April 2005, after attempting to source weapons from Thiruvananthapuram. And, in 2006, Male residents Ali Jaleel, Fatimah Nasreen, and Aishath Raushan were arrested for preparing to go to Pakistan to receive jihad training.

During his December 2008 visit to New Delhi, Maldives President Mohammad Nasheed had expressed concern about security in the Indian Ocean.

“You have sealed our borders [with Pakistan]”, he said, “but you have pushed terrorists into the Indian Ocean.” President Nasheed referred to the dangers of organised crime operations in the high seas, and warned that “pirates could be recruited into terrorist cells.”

President’s appeal

Noting that upwards of 40 Maldives nationals were known to be studying in Pakistani seminaries controlled by jihadist groups, President Nasheed also called for greater Indian educational assistance.

Source: hinduonnet.com

Maldives bomb plotters jailed for 15 years

Three Maldivian men have been sentenced to 15 years in jail for carrying out a bombing that wounded 12 tourists, the first recorded attack by Islamic militants in the Indian Ocean island chain.

Moosa Inas, Ahmed Naseer and Mohamed Sobah were found guilty under the Maldives Terrorism Act of "causing bodily harm with the intention of creating fear or terror", after they confessed to planting and detonating the bomb in the capital Male's Sultan Park.

"Because of the nature of the crime I cannot show leniency," Judge Abdullah Arif said as he passed sentence on Thursday at Male's Criminal Court. Under Maldives law, 15 years is the maximum sentence for an act of terrorism in which no one was killed.

Thirteen other men have been charged in relation to the Sept. 29 blast, which the defendants have said was planned as a deliberate attack on the tourism industry, the linchpin of the Maldives $1 billion economy.

Three others will face trial this year, but 10 men who police say masterminded the attack left for Pakistan in the days preceding the explosion. An Interpol warrant has been issued for their arrest. The Government has not said whether it will exercise the option of trying the 10 men in their absence.

"Investigations into the bombing revealed that the major role in the crime was committed by these three people," the Maldives Police Service said in a statement on its Web site (www.police.gov.mv), which carried pictures of the three.

"They confessed to their crime requesting the court to finish the case as soon as possible by issuing a justified verdict."

The Maldives remains on high alert, with the Government aware a further militant attack could be fatal to the reputation of the Maldives as a tourist idyll. Celebrities and honeymooners pay up to $1,000 a night to stay in villas standing on stilts in the island chain's 60 resorts.

In November, police uncovered a plot to detonate a second device simultaneously with the Sultan Park bomb.

The explosion has led to speculation about links between international Islamist militant organisations and the Maldives.

The Indian newspaper the Hindu alleged links between the Sultan Park bombers and Kashmiri group Lashkar-e-Taiba, while a propaganda video shot inside a radical Maldives mosque was posted on an Internet forum associated with al Qaeda in November.

Source: (Reporting by Ajay Makan; Editing by Alex Richardson) Reuters

Maldives police hunt for second bomb

Maldivian authorities are searching for a second bomb believed to have been part of a plot by Islamic extremists to attack the country's vital tourism industry, police said Thursday.

Militants had planned to set off a second bomb almost simultaneously with a first blast which hurt 12 foreign tourists on 29 September in the capital Male, police said.

"We are acting on an intelligence tip off after we arrested eight more suspects in connection with the Sultan Park bomb," assistant police commissioner Abdullah Riyaz told AFP by telephone from Male.

"We don't know the whereabouts of the bomb, but we are looking for it very hard," Riyaz said.

The Maldives has been on high alert since Islamic militants struck in a religiously motivated attack on the tourism industry, which accounts for a third of the country's economy.

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has ruled since 1978, has ordered a crackdown on religious dissent, banning women from wearing the full veil and foreign preachers as well as closing down unlicensed Muslim prayer groups.

Gayoom also ordered the strict enforcement of the Religious Unity Act which forbids prayer in non-government mosques.

On Tuesday, the government charged three Maldivians linked to the bombing under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. They were accused of "causing bodily harm, with the intention of creating fear or terror," and for making and using explosive substances, Riyaz said.

"State prosecutor Hussain Shameen also asked court for a maximum 15-year jail sentence," he said adding that 13 other Maldivian nationals will be charged under the same act in relation to the blast.

Riyaz said three were in detention, but the remainder on the run and believed to be in Pakistan.

Police are also investigating possible links with foreign militant groups after the Indian press reports highlighted that some of the suspects had links to a Kashmiri separatist group.

Source: AFP

Bomb couple 'caught out' by travel policy

The honeymoon couple injured in the Maldives bombing last weekend face at least two months in hospital while their acute burns are treated.

Christian and Jenny Donelan, both 32, were flown to Britain last week in an air ambulance and are being treated in the burns unit of South Manchester Hospital.

Family and friends have been horrified by the extent of their injuries. Mr Donelan and his wife are both wrapped in cotton wool to ease their discomfort, but they remain in great pain.

Mr Donelan has 27 per cent first- and second-degree burns; his wife of three weeks is more seriously injured with 40 per cent burns.

On Friday, the couple had their wounds bathed for the first time. They are expected to require skin grafts.

The couple, who honeymooned in the Maldives after marrying in Italy, are critical of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and say the Government refused to contribute towards the £106,000 cost of their air ambulance.

Their families said in a joint statement: "When British citizens are seriously injured in a terrorist attack in a benign country, we believe the Government has a duty to support their evacuation to the UK where they can receive the medical attention they need. We will be approaching our MP in order for this complete disregard for the well-being of British citizens to be questioned in the House of Commons."

The couple's holiday insurance also failed to cover the cost of the air ambulance. "We would like to draw everyone's attention to the importance of reading the small print in travel insurance policies – don't be caught out like Christian and Jenny," the statement said.

The families did, however, issue a list of "thank-yous" to the Maldives people, the ADK Hospital in Male where they were first treated and Mr Donelan's employer, Boartes.

Mr Donelan, from Rotherham, and his wife, from Manchester, both work in the Gulf state of Qatar as sports events organisers.

Tim Bulleyment, a friend of the couple, said: "Christian is in a lot of pain – and Jenny is worse. They now face a long recovery period."

The couple were among 12 tourists injured when a nail bomb exploded in Male, the capital of the Maldives. Islamist terrorists are suspected of carrying out the attack.

Source: Telegraph

Police release details of two plotters, more CCTV footage

The Maldives Police Service has yesterday released details of two of the plotters who detonated the home-made bomb inside Sultan Park on Saturday, along with CCTV footage showing their activities during the execution of their plan.

At a press meeting held at the Police Headquarters the Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz identified the two who had carried out the bombing as Ahmed Naseer, 20, of Saadhunaa Manzil in Gaafu Alifu atoll Kanduhulhudhoo and Moosa Inas, 21, of Finihiyaage in Laamu atoll Kalhaidhoo.

Previously unseen footage showing the activities of the two perpetrators before and after the explosion near Sultan Park was also shown at the press meeting. The footage showed Inas and Naseer walking together into the Sultan Park and coming out one after the other 7 minutes later. They had then met each other around 80 feet away from the main gate of Sultan Park before parting ways and going off in different directions. Sometime later Inas is seen, wearing a black T-Shirt with ‘CIA’ written in white letters on the back, riding on a motorcycle and stopping just past the Sultan Park main gate. A minute later the bomb explodes and Inas is seen speeding away on the motorcycle.

Riyaz said that both Inas and Naseer had now confessed to their parts in the bombing and that both of them had been arrested while in another country where they had fled following the bombing. Riyaz did not reveal which country that they had both fled to.

Riyaz also said that the cycle that Inas had used to get away after detonating the bomb had also been located parked in front of Zikuraa Mosque and had been impounded by the Police.

Riyaz went on to say that they had received information that a SIM card and a mobile phone used in the bombing had been dumped into the sea near Hulhule and had sent a Police team to locate it. A video detailing the search and collection of the SIM card from the Hulhule lagoon was also shown at the press meeting.

Riyaz also named Mohamed Sobah, 19, of V. Landhooge Aage, as having confessed to being part of the plot and showed a picture of him. He also said that 14 people had been arrested so far in connection to the attack that had injured 12 tourists, and that four of them were foreigners. He said that they were also searching for two others and showed their mugshots and revealed their details. The two people that are currently wanted by the Police are Abdul Latheef Ibrahim, 24, of Green Villa in Laamu atoll Kalhaidhoo, and Ali Shameem, 25, of Dhoores in Shaviyani atoll Komandoo.

The Assistant Commissioner also said that no one that had been arrested during the investigation had been released so far and said that every one of those that had been arrested had been brought into custody for their connection with the bombing.

When asked what the motive behind the attack had been Riyaz said that since there were still some people who they needed to interrogate it was difficult to reveal a motive at the moment.

Source: Haveeru Online

Air ambulance to evacuate honeymooners

AN air ambulance arrived in the Maldives overnight to evacuate a British honeymoon couple wounded in a weekend bomb attack, a minister said.

The plane, chartered by the Maldivian government, will airlift Christian and Jennifer Donelan, both 32, to Britain, where they will undergo further medical treatment, Tourism Minister Mahamood Shougee said.

"The plane arrived this morning (Tuesday) and the Donelans' medical team will decide if they should fly out later today or on Wednesday," Mr Shougee said by telephone from the Maldivian capital Male.

Doctors in Male said the couple may need skin grafts after they were burnt in Sunday's crude bomb attack. Two Japanese and eight Chinese tourists were also hurt in the blast.

The Donelans, who live in Qatar, married in Italy two weeks ago and were on their honeymoon in the Indian Ocean atoll nation.

Their insurance did not cover acts of terrorism, but the Maldivian government stepped in to pay for the plane as a goodwill gesture, Mr Shougee said.

The bomb, which was packed with nails and detonated by mobile phone, was the first terrorist strike of its kind in the archipelago.

Six Japanese tourists have cancelled their holiday to the atoll nation, while Australia advised citizens to "exercise caution and monitor developments" when travelling to the Maldives.

"We are now collecting information from the resorts so the number (of cancellations) might increase," Maldives Tourism Promotion Board official Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal was quoted as saying by the Haveeru Daily newspaper.

Police have so far arrested 11 people, including two Bangladeshi expatriate workers to whom the mobile phones used in the attack were traced.

Officers from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) flew into Male yesterday Monday to help the Maldivian authorities in their investigation, the US embassy here said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz said in Male that some of those detained confessed to having helped in the bombing.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and Riyaz said authorities were looking into the possibility of religious or political motives.

Tourism, a key driver of the Maldivian economy, has helped make the 1192 coral islands one of the richest nations in South Asia with a per-capita income of $US2674 ($2995)

Source:

FBI joins Male blast probe

US investigators arrived in the Maldives Monday to probe a bomb attack against tourists, as authorities prepared to fly a honeymooning British couple wounded in the blast home, officials said.

Maldivian authorities said two Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agents were helping local investigators question 10 people, including two Bangladesh nationals, following Saturday’s attack. The US embassy in Sri Lanka, which is also accredited to the neighbouring Maldives, said it condemned “without reservation this senseless act of violence.”

The blast at Sultan Park, a favourite stop for foreigners and locals visiting the capital island Male, wounded two Britons, two Japanese and eight Chinese. Maldivian officials said arrangements were being made to fly the 32-year-old British newlyweds, who suffered extensive burns, to Britain for advanced treatment, possibly on Tuesday.

Police were questioning those arrested over the attack, which has undermined the country’s image as one of South Asia’s safest holiday destinations. “The 10 (arrested) include two Bangladesh nationals,” tourism minister Mahamood Shougee told AFP by telephone.

The government has blamed its political rivals. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom described it as the first terrorist attack in the archipelago. It was the heaviest number of casualties from violence in the low-lying atoll since anti-Gayoom riots left two dead in September 2003. No group has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack which Gayoom, who has ruled since 1978 and is Asia’s longest serving leader, blamed on “very selfish and irresponsible... people who for political reasons have been calling for the boycott of the Maldives on the tourism front.”

The pro-dissident Friends of Maldives, which urged a boycott of Maldivian resorts closely associated with members of Gayoom’s regime, denied any involvement in the bombing. “Friends of Maldives (FOM) are surprised by the ridiculous statements from President Gayoom ... that the FOM are in some way behind the Male bombing,” the group said in a statement.

The British-based FOM was set up in December 2003, two months after pro-democracy riots in Male, and supports human rights activists and campaigns against alleged abuses in the nation of 330,000 Muslims. Officials said the two Japanese and eight Chinese nationals who were hurt in the blast have been discharged from hospital. afp

Source: Daily Times

Six tourists have cancelled following bombing in Sultan Park – MTPB

Six tourists have cancelled their trip to Maldives as a result of the explosion at the Sultan Park in Male’, the capital of Maldives, the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) has said.

Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal of the MTPB said that the tourists that had cancelled their trips to Maldives as a direct result of the bombing in Sultan Park were six Japanese tourists.

“Don’t know if there had been any other cancellations,” he said yesterday. “We are now collecting information from the resorts so the number might increase.”

The home-made bomb, referred by the Police as an improvised explosive device, that had been detonated at the Sultan Park on Saturday had caused severe burns to two tourists and left ten others injured. Those injured were from China, Britain and Japan.

“The repercussions of this will be bad,” Maleeh said. “We will only see the effects after 10 days or so. Now we are getting a clearer picture of what happened and the news reports are changing accordingly. They will think twice about cancelling now.”

Only one country, Australia, has issued a travel warning to tourists following the first terrorist attack on the tourism industry in the Maldives.

“They have just issued a warning advising travelers to be cautious,” Maleeh said. “No other country has issued such a warning.”

While the MTPB will closely monitor local and international news coverage of the attack, it will also monitor the tourist arrivals to the country for the next ten days or so.

The British honeymoon couple who were injured in the bomb blast are still receiving treatment at the ADK Hospital in Male’ for their burns. They have been receiving bouquets with attached ‘Get Well Soon’ cards and similar wishes by businesses, offices, schools and private parties.

Source: Haveeru

Some perpetrators of Sultan Park bombing have confessed – Police

Some of those involved in the detonation of an improvised explosive device inside Sultan Park on Saturday in which 12 tourists were injured have confessed during the investigation, Police said today.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Shaheed Hussain Adam Building today, the Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz said that two of the suspects had fled to another country after the attack but had been brought back to Maldives and were being interrogated. He did not specify which country they had fled to but added that another suspect who had tried to leave the country yesterday had been detained at the airport and was now being interrogated also.

Out of the 12 suspects arrested so far 2 are foreigners, Riyaz said and added that they now had clear understanding of who were involved and how much they were involved. Riyaz said that the perpetrators were now revealing how the attack had gone down.

Riyaz did not reveal which country the two foreigners were from or how many of the suspects had confessed so far.

“Because there are still other suspects we need to bring in for questioning,” he said. He added that they had arrested the foreigners because they had enough evidence to suspect their involvement and were now investigating how much they were involved in the attack.

One of those who were arrested in connection to the Saturday’s attack included a boy under 18 years of age, Riyaz said. He said that there were still others who needed to be interrogated and that the number of people who were involved in the attack would be revealed once the investigation was wrapped up.

Riyaz confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had also agreed to help with the investigation and added that two FBI officials from New Delhi, India, had arrived in Maldives and were now part of the investigative team. He refused to share the evidence they had collected so far, citing complications in the investigation if the information was made public. He also acknowledged the role that the public had played in providing invaluable help during the investigation.

He further said that they were also looking into the possibility that there were any religious or political motives behind the attack.

“The reason for the attack is now clear,” he said. “However, I am not at liberty to make the reasons public at this stage of the investigation.” He also did not specify if those who had been arrested belonged to any group or what kind of work they did.

Riyaz also said that so far there was no indication or reason to suspect that the perpetrators had planned another attack similar to the Saturday one. Riyaz also said that it was not clear yet if it was foreigners or locals who were at behind the attack

Source: Haveeru

NGO blamed for tourist bombing

Maldivian President Abdul Gayoom implicated a British-based human rights organisation in Saturday’s bombing that left 12 tourists injured, while the group suspended its tourism boycott.

Gayoom told national television after the incident that people calling for the boycott of the Maldives on the tourism front should “share some responsibility” for the incident in which eight Chinese, two Japanese and two British were injured when a homemade bomb exploded at Sultan park in the capital, Male.

Gayoom stopped short of naming any organisation but was widely believed to be hinting at British human rights group the Friends of Maldives (FOM), which was carrying out a campaign among tourists not to visit 15 resorts believed to be owned by government figures.

FOM spokesman David Hardingham, speaking from London by telephone, dismissed Gayoom’s claim, saying it was “nonsense”. He said the FOM’s campaign was focused on the poor human rights situation in Maldives. The group suspended its boycott call after the attack. Sapa-DPA

Source: Business Day

Maldives were 'warned of Islamic danger'

The Government of the Maldives had received explicit warnings of the dangers of rising Islamic fundamentalism but failed to take action to address the issue, the country's former attorney-general told The Daily Telegraph.

Dr Hassan Saeed, who resigned his position last month in protest at Government policies on the issue, said the Maldives government had received a detailed action plan to combat Islamist extremism but had "sat on its hands".

"The action plan was submitted to the President and the government seven months ago but they failed to take any measures to address the issue of extremism. They've just sat on the report," he said from the capital, Male.

Two men were arrested yesterday in connection with the attacks. Local sources said they were "jewellery repairmen" who had been linked to the mobile telephone used to trigger the blast.

The attack, using a home-made device constructed from the telephone and a washing machine motor, has realised the worst fears of many Maldivians who have watched the traditionally moderate Sunni Muslim country grow increasingly radicalised.

"The change in the Maldives has really been quite scary over the last three or four years," said Jennifer Latheef, a local human rights activist. "The number of women wearing the veil has risen dramatically."

Dr Saeed said the growing sway of fundamentalist clerics in the Maldives had coincided with moves to introduce democracy into the islands following demonstrations against President Gayoom in 2003.

"A growing number of Maldivian students are going to study in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan where they are learning a radical Wahhabi interpretation of Islam."

Source: Telegraph

Maldives bomb couple win air ambulance fight

A British couple badly injured in the Maldives nailbomb attack will be flown by helicopter to a specialist burns unit in the UK today after a battle over who would cover their costs.

Christian Donelan and his wife, Jennifer, suffered severe burns after being caught in the terrorist attack in Male, the capital of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, on Saturday.

But they were temporarily left stranded as authorities argued over who would pay for emergency treatment.

Doctors at the Maldives hospital where Mr and Mrs Donelan are being treated told the couple they required plastic surgery and skin grafts urgently, but admitted they did not have the expertise to carry out the procedures.

An air ambulance was left on standby to fly the couple to a hospital in south Manchester, near the Wigan home of Mrs Donelan's parents, at a cost of £125,000.

But the family suffered a difficult day negotiating with an insurance company, the Maldives government and the Foreign Office over the cost of the flight.

The insurance firm, based in Qatar, where the couple live, originally claimed they would not cover "an act of terrorism" under their policy.

But last night the family said they had secured funding with the help of Foreign Office pressure.

Although not in a life threatening condition, Mrs Donelan has first degree and second degree burns covering up to 40 per cent of her body – including her face, hands and legs. Mr Donelan has 27 per cent burns.

A friend close to the couple said last night: "We were worried all day trying to secure the funds but it is great news that Christian and Jennifer are coming home."

Mr and Mrs Donelan, originally from Rotherham, South Yorks, were visited by British consular officials and the Maldives president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The couple, who both work as sports events organisers, were married near Lake Como, Italy, two weeks ago.

They were on the last day of their honeymoon and had already packed their bags and checked out of their hotel when they were caught in the blast.

Twelve tourists in total were injured in the attack – the first of its kind on the islands.

The bombing is being widely linked to home-grown Islamist elements.

Around 60,000 British tourists travel to the Maldives each year.

Many of them are honeymooners and travel agents are now waiting to see if any holidaymakers decide to cancel planned trips as a result of the attack.

The Maldivian government moved swiftly to allay fears that a similar attack could be launched against tourists in one of the 87 islands which offer a "Robin Crusoe" experience to holidaymakers.

Resort operators contacted by The Daily Telegraph last night said holidaymakers had been briefed on the situation and decided to continue their stays.

The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice with a general statement about the "global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks" but said it had no plans to warn against travel to the Maldives.

Source: Telegraph

Maldives comes to aid of couple hurt by bomb after insurance refuses to pay

The Maldives Government has stepped in to fly a honeymooning British couple seriously injured in a bomb attack to a specialist burns unit after their insurance company refused to pay the bill.

Christian and Jennifer Donelan are expected to need skin grafts after they were burnt in the explosion on Saturday afternoon in a park in the Maldives capital, Male. Ten other tourists were also injured.

The Donelans’ friends and family spent much of yesterday trying to find someone to agree to pay for their medical evacuation for expert treatment. The Times understands that the Maldives Government last night agreed to provide the funds for the couple, who are both 32, after their insurance company refused to pay out.

“It has been eight hours of absolute panic,” a family friend, Tim Bulleyment, said last night. “We did not know the insurance company would say they’re not paying for it. Now there’s a resolution. Everyone is relieved.”

The bomb, filled with masonry nails, detonated at about 2.30pm local time. The other injured tourists, from China and Japan, have now been released from hospital.

Mr Donelan suffered 27 per cent burns to his lower body and limbs and his wife suffered 40 per cent burns to her face, hands and lower body.

Mr Donelan, originally from Rotherham, works in Qatar as a sports events organiser for the Asian Games. The couple were on honeymoon, having married in Italy two weeks ago.

The private hospital that is treating Mr and Mrs Donelan in Male, ADK Enterprise, is not equipped to deal with severe burns victims. The airlift is to be conducted by a private company and it is hoped that it will take place today.

It was unclear last night whether the couple would be flown to Britain, Qatar or to a specialist burns unit closer to the Maldives.

Friends and family in Qatar spent all day negotiating with the couple’s Qatar-based insurance company, as Mr Donelan’s father, Paddy, waited for news at his home in Rotherham.

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka was sent to the Maldives and helped to manage negotiations.

Eventually, when it became clear that the insurance company would not pay, arguing that the couple’s insurance did not cover acts of terrorism, the Maldives Government stepped in, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office source said.

British insurance industry representatives said last night that about two thirds of British companies provided cover for terrorism-related incidents.

Malcom Taring, of the Association of British Insurers said: “It always used to be that war and terrorism were specifically excluded in insurance but in recent years with the proliferation of terrorism, cover has been incorporated into a lot of packages.

“About 60 per cent of British companies cover medical expenses and repatriation if you are injured as a result of a terrorist attack.”

Mr Bulleyment, 45, said: “Now the funds have been found to bring them home it’s just a major relief.

“It’s really nice of the Maldivians. Paddy has been calm. “At one point he just said to me, ‘Sit down son, take the weight off your feet. Stop pacing’. I think he’s just relieved that they are not dead. That’s what everybody feels.”

Ahmed Afaal, ADK’s managing director, said: “We hope that they will be going home within the next 24 hours.”

The Foreign Office said: “It’s great news.”

The Sunni Muslim country is stunned by the attack. The luxury resort relies on tourism and is not associated with violence.

The ADK hospital, which has been inundated with messages from residents in the Maldives, has set aside a room for flowers and cards for the Donelans from wellwishers.

Sultan Park, the scene of the bombing, is near a mosque and government army base and was packed with tourists. Within hours, Maldives police had arrested two local people. By last night seven people were under arrest.

But it remained unclear whether the target was tourism. The suspicion was that the bomb was the work of Islamic militants but the motive was a mystery.

Source: Times Online

Maldives 'still safe for tourists' despite bombing

Authorities in the Maldives say the islands remain a safe travel destination in the wake of its first terrorist attack at the weekend.

Two men have been arrested by police investigating a bomb blast in a park in the capital Male.

Two Britons, two Japanese and eight Chinese tourists were hurt.

It was the first time a bomb had exploded in the Maldives.

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom blamed what he called selfish people calling for a tourism boycott.

Dissidents view Mr Gayoom as a dictator, and political parties have only been legal since 2005.

The country's tourist resorts are mostly located on outlying islands, away from the capital.

The Maldives Government says the islands are still perfectly safe to visit.

Source: ABC News

Maldives president blames opposition for bomb attack

Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Sunday blamed opposition groups behind a tourism boycott campaign for a homemade bomb that wounded 12 foreign tourists in the remote Indian Ocean island chain on Saturday.

Police have arrested seven people in connection with the blast near a mosque in the capital, Male, a rare attack on tourists, who are the linchpin of Maldives' $1 billion (490 million pound) economy.

Opposition and rights groups have called in the past for a tourism boycott to protest against Gayoom, who is Asia's longest-serving ruler and who has been accused by critics of dragging his feet on democratic reforms and of cracking down on dissent.

"The president did not name anybody in his speech at the hospital, but said people calling for a tourism boycott as the best way to target the government and destabilise the country should take responsibility," said Hana Aishath, a spokeswoman at the information ministry.

Tourism Minister Mahamood Shaugee said all those arrested were Maldivian nationals. He did not give more details.

The two Britons wounded in the attack, who have been named by the British Foreign Office as Christian and Jennifer Donelan, were recovering well, he said.

"They are in good spirits. I met them this evening. They said they want to come back to the Maldives again."

Government and opposition groups have blamed each other for the bomb attack in the archipelago, best known for luxury honeymoons and Hollywood star visitors.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party said the blast showed the government has failed to tackle crime.

More than 500,000 tourists visited the Maldives last year and the Sunni Muslim country has a reputation for tranquillity.

The capital has not witnessed any explosions since an attempted coup in 1988.

Gayoom, in power since 1978, won a referendum in August to adopt a U.S.-style presidential system in a vote the opposition said was rigged

he 1,192-island archipelago has many luxury resorts but half its 370,000 people live in poverty.

Maldives is due to hold its first multi-party election in 2008. Gayoom's aides have said he will run again.

Source: Reuters

Seven Maldives nationals have been arrested in connection with a bomb blast in the islands which left 12 tourists injured, local police said.

Two Britons, two Japanese and eight Chinese tourists were hurt by the bomb in a park in the capital Male.

The injured British couple have been named as Christian Donelan, originally from Rotherham, and his wife Jennifer, whose maiden name is Green.

The Maldives Police Service said forensic tests were being carried out.

Mohamed Shareef, a government spokesman, said: "Police have arrested seven men based on forensic evidence and now they have been named suspects.

"Some of them were trying to flee the country and were apprehended at the airport."

He said that all the men arrested were Maldivian nationals, and added that police were still searching for other suspects. [Read More on BBC News]

First-ever bomb blast in the Maldives

Colombo - A bomb exploded at the entrance to a recreation park in the Maldives, wounding at least 12 foreign tourists on Saturday, a government official said.

The homemade bomb exploded outside Sultan Park in the capital, Male, leaving 12 people, including two Britons with burn injuries, government spokesperson Mohamed Shareef said.

"The Maldives has never had something like this before. We are taking this very seriously because tourism is our life blood," Shareef said. - Sapa-AP

Tourists Injured In Bomb Blast

Two Britons are among 12 tourists injured in a bomb blast in the Maldives.

Both Britons are receiving treatment, but have been described as "stable and out of danger".

The Foreign Office said the blast, which occurred in the capital Male, was caused by a homemade device.

Two Japanese and eight Chinese tourists were also injured, all of whom have been treated for minor injuries and discharged from hospital.

No claim of responsibility for the attack was made.

Government Spokesman Hussain Sharif told Sky News: "Never in the history of the Maldives has anything like this happened before."

Mr Sharif confirmed the incident took place near the city's main mosque at an entrance to the Sultan Park, a regular stop-off for tour groups.

"We are taking this very seriously because tourism is our life blood," he said.

Local media said the explosion was triggered by a homemade device using a mobile phone and washing machine motor attached to a gas cylinder.

A witness said he saw nails scattered in the park before the area was cleared by security personnel.

The spokesman said the park was crowded at the time of the blast, including many locals breaking their fast during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.

Police have launched an investigation and the government will seek help from Interpol, the United States and India.

More than 500,000 tourists visited the idyllic holiday islands last year.

Source: Sky News

Maldives blast injures 2 Brits

TWELVE tourists, including two British nationals, have been wounded in a Maldives bomb blast.

The homemade bomb exploded outside Sultan Park just after 3pm local time in the capital of Male, leaving the 12 people with burn injuries, government spokesman Mohamed Shareef said.

“The Maldives has never had something like this before. We are taking this very seriously because tourism is our life blood,” Shareef said.

Local media reported the bomb was made from a washing machine motor attached to a gas cylinder.

Witnesses reported seeing nails scattered in the park, before the area was cleared by local security forces.

The two British tourists were staying on Baros, just one of 87 designated tourist islands in the ocean chain.

A spokeswoman for Universal Resorts, a firm based in the Maldives that owns some resorts, including Baros, confirmed that two British guests had been injured.

She said the couple, who live in the Gulf state of Qatar, were already
preparing to fly back to the Middle East.

“As far as we are aware Universal Resorts have a total of 10 guests who were injured, two of whom were UK citizens that actually live in Qatar,” she said.

“Those two guests are being taken care of in the hospital in Male and are with Universal Resorts staff.

“They have requested that they would like to go back to Qatar as soon as possible.”

One Japanese and eight Chinese tourists have also been confirmed among the injured.

The population of the state is Islamic, but the threat of terrorism is classed as “low” in the Foreign Office advice to tourists.

Thousands of tourists from the UK visit the idyllic islands each year, many of them couples on their honeymoon.

Tourists normally stay on resort islands away from the capital but usually pass through Male to get there.

Source: The Sun