Colombo, Jan 8: A young man lunged at Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom with a kitchen knife on Tuesday in what his spokesman called an assassination attempt, but he was unharmed.

"The President was in the far north for the inauguration of a renewable energy project. He was shaking hands with supporters, when a young man came and tried to stab him with a large kitchen knife," presidential spokesman Mohamed Shareef said.

"He was saved by a boy who moved in the way and tried to grab the knife and suffered a serious injury to his hand," he added.

"The President was not hurt, but the knife did catch his shirt. It was definitely an assassination attempt on his life." (ANI)