Greenwood Park police are investigating a case of illegal possession of explosives after two homemade explosive devices were thrown into the Durban North Mosque (Musjidur Rahman) in the early hours of Monday morning.
KZN provincial spokesperson, Brigadier Jay Naicker said. “preliminary investigations indicate that on 8 July at 1:30am, unknown suspects were on Kenneth Kaunda Road when they were interrupted by a security vehicle that was patrolling the area.
“The suspects fled and threw the devices into the mosque premises,” he said, adding that the security officer saw what happened and found the devices inside the mosque premises.
Naicker said the mosque security guard immediately suspected that they were explosive devices and contacted the necessary authorities who contacted police.
“Police Bomb Technicians confirmed that it was homemade explosive devices that consisted of commercial explosives,” he said.
However, the devices were not set up to explode.
“It is suspected that the men were on route to an unknown location with the devices when they were disturbed by the security officer,” Naicker said
Investigations to locate the suspects are ongoing.
The trustees of the Durban North Mosque said in a statement: “A security guard noticed a vehicle entering the mosque's driveway around 00:45am and observed one of the occupants, an unidentified male, exiting the passenger side and placing an object into the shrubs near the mosque entrance.
“Upon noticing the guard approaching, the individuals fled the scene. The guard promptly alerted mosque management, who contacted SAPS for further investigation.”
According to the statement the package was found to contain a bomb and approximately 40 metres of detonation cable.
“This attempted act of terrorism therefore underscores a grave concern for the Durban North community. Authorities are currently reviewing footage from the mosque and security company cameras,” said the trustees.
They said the mosque had heightened security measures and urged anyone with information about the attempted bombing to contact law enforcement or the mosque directly.
“This reprehensible act will not deter the Muslim community from practising their faith or engaging in dialogue with other faiths. The mosque remains open, welcoming visitors as usual,” said the statement.
The trustees added that despite initial opposition to the mosque's establishment, it had since become a symbol of community support, providing various services such as open day programmes, social cohesion initiatives, and humanitarian aid during crises like the 2021 looting and water shortages.
“The Muslim community's contributions to Durban North's economy and social fabric have significantly mitigated earlier misunderstandings and stereotypes.”
The Mercury