DEVELOPING: Author Salman Rushdie Stabbed in Neck at Event; Condition Unknown

Author Salman Rushdie was reportedly stabbed in the neck while on stage at an event in New York on Friday.

According to the Associated Press, an unknown assailant rushed the stage at Chautauqua Institution and confronted Rushdie, 75, before punching or stabbing him 10 or 15 times. The man was apprehended after Rushdie was spotted being pushed to the floor.

Author Salman Rushdie was attacked at a speaking event in Chautauqua, N.Y., on Friday by a man who stormed the stage and stabbed the writer in the neck, police said. https://t.co/PQqhVSFKkq pic.twitter.com/4QwIUzi3Jx

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 12, 2022

State police said that Rushdie was airlifted to the hospital and his condition is unknown. Rushdie’s spokesperson told Reuters that the author is undergoing surgery.

The Associated Press reported that approximately 2,500 people attended Rushdie’s lecture. A moderator at the event reportedly suffered a minor head injury in the attack.

Rushdie has been criticized for his writings, which some claim are blasphemous to Islam. His 1988 book, “The Satanic Verses,” led Iran’s late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to call for his death in a fatwa, or a legal pronouncement in Islamic law.

This story is developing…

Author Salman Rushdie was transported to a hospital via helicopter after being attacked at an event in New York.

Rushdie, who has faced death threats over his writing, suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck. https://t.co/VV2wG3YRXv pic.twitter.com/R6B567L4GN

— ABC News (@ABC) August 12, 2022