WEB DESK

Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born British author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, has been stabbed as he was about to give a lecture in southwestern New York state. Police confirmed Rushdie was stabbed “at least once in the neck, and at least once in the abdomen” on Friday after an assailant rushed to the stage and lunged at the 75-year-old writer just as he was being introduced to the audience.

After being airlifted to the hospital where he spent hours in surgery, Rushdie was on a ventilator and unable to speak on Friday evening. Andrew Wylie, his book agent, wrote in an email to the Reuters news agency. Salman is likely to lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed, and his liver was stabbed and damaged.

Police identified the suspect as 24-year-old Hadi Matar from New Jersey. Major Eugene Staniszewski of New York state police told reporters on Friday afternoon that officials do not have any indication of a motive at this very early stage of the investigation. They said they believed that Matar was acting alone. Stunned attendees helped pull the man off Rushdie, who had fallen to the floor. A New York state police trooper providing security at the event arrested the attacker, while a doctor in the audience helped look after Rushdie until emergency services arrived.