Comoros President Azali Assoumani was slightly injured in a knife attack on Friday while attending the funeral of a prominent religious leader, according to an official statement from the presidency. The attacker has since been arrested.

"The President of the Republic Azali Assoumani was slightly wounded by a knife while attending the funeral," the statement read. It assured the public that his injuries were minor and that he had since returned home. "The attacker is in the hands of the security services," it added.

Government spokeswoman Fatima Ahamadael confirmed to AFP that the incident occurred in Salimani-Itsandra, on the outskirts of the capital, Moroni. "Thank God, his life is not in danger," she stated, refraining from providing additional details.

Witnesses described the attacker as a 22-year-old with no prior criminal record, who had joined the army in 2022. He was reportedly wearing a boubou and was in the room with the body of the religious leader when the incident occurred. The president sustained an injury to his hand, but the assailant was quickly subdued by another mourner, witnesses said.

A source close to the presidency, speaking anonymously, confirmed that President Azali had received medical attention and was no longer in danger. Another source, also anonymous, told AFP that the attacker was an active-duty gendarme.

The attack has heightened tensions in the neighborhood in which the funeral was taking place, with gendarmes deployed to the scene. Residents were seen retreating to their homes.

President Azali, 65, first came to power in a 1999 coup and was re-elected in January after a controversial election that triggered two days of deadly protests.

In August, he faced backlash after appointing his son, Nour El Fath Azali, as the secretary general of Comoros, a move viewed as consolidating power within his family, as it practically made him de facto Prime Minister.