Armed Men Storm Mosque In South Africa, Slit Throats Of Worshipers Including Imam

An imam died after armed men stormed a Shia mosque near Durban in South Africa, cutting the throat of two worshipers and the saint before they fled.

The group arrived with rifles and knives, an emergency service employee said this afternoon.

The three attackers escaped in a Hyundai car on the edge of the eastern port city.

The attack on the Shia center in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal took place at 2.39 pm.

According to the police, after the afternoon prayer the men entered the big mosque and stabbed three people.

"They set fire to certain spaces and fled into their escape vehicle," police spokesman Nqobile Gwala said in a statement.

"The motive of the attack on the three men is unknown at this stage. Verulam police investigate three points of attempted murder and arson. '

Paul Herbst, spokesman for the private IPSS medical rescue service, told AFP that the imam who cut his throat, died a few minutes ago because of his injuries.

"There were three people in the mosque - a carer, a worshiper, and the Imam, and they were held up by three armed men," Herbst said after a visit to the scene.