CAPE TOWN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- South African authorities on Thursday ruled out any terror link with a mosque attack last month in which two worshippers were stabbed to death.
"The motive for the attack is not yet established but there are no links to suggest any involvement of extremists or radical activity," said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks.
On June 14, an assailant attacked a mosque in Malmesbury near Cape Town, killing two worshippers.
The attacker, identified as Noor Araale from Somalia, was shot dead at the scene by police following a tense stand-off.
An investigation has found no evidence to link the attack with terrorism, the Hawks said in a statement.
Araale was believed to have a mental problem. He was treated at a psychiatric hospital in Cape Town years ago, according to medical records.
The Hawks said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate is still investigating the death of Araale.
This was the second attack on a mosque in the country since May this year.
On May 10, three knife-wielding attackers stormed a mosque in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal Province, killing one worshipper and seriously wounding two others. The suspects, reportedly from Egypt, escaped from the scene before setting the mosque on fire. No arrest has been made.
The motive for the killing also remains unknown. Authorities also found no evidence to link the attack with terrorism despite suggestion by some civil groups that terrorists might be involved.
