SALMAN Rushdie has been stabbed on stage today in New York – after years of death threats for the British writer's novel 'The Satanic Verses'.
His alleged attacker stormed the stage in New York while the novelist was giving a speech at the Chautauqua Institution.
The horror attack took place as the Indian-born writer was being introduced.
Suddenly, a man ran on stage and began stabbing him in the neck.
Pictures from the scene show Rushdie, 75, lying on the stage as a crowd surrounds him.
Blood can be seen splattered across a screen in the lecture theatre and a chair Rushdie was sitting on.
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His condition is still unknown.
A picture from the scene shows Rushdie being taken on a stretcher to a waiting air ambulance.
Panicked crowds were evacuated from the theatre immediately after the attack.
Reports say a suspect is in custody following the attack.
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Pictures reportedly show the suspect being led away by police at the scene.
New York State Police confirmed they are investigating the attack.
"State Police are investigating an attack on author Salman Rushdie prior to a speaking event at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY," it said.
"On August 12, 2022, at about 11 am, a male suspect ran up onto the stage and attacked Rushdie and an interviewer.
"Rushdie suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital.
His condition is not yet known. The interviewer suffered a minor head injury.
"A State Trooper assigned to the event immediately took the suspect into custody. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.
"More information will be released when it is available."
Rushdie suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck and was transported by helicopter to an area hospital
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said: "Thank you to the swift response of @nyspolice & first responders following today's attack of author Salman Rushdie.
"Our thoughts are with Salman & his loved ones following this horrific event. I have directed State Police to further assist however needed in the investigation."
Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses has been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous.
One year later, Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death.
A bounty of more than $3m has also been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie.
He has continued to receive death threats and was forced to live in hiding under constant armed guard for nine years to keep him safe.
The Booker Prize winner shot to fame in 1981 with Midnight's Children – which went on to sell more than a million copies in the UK alone.
In 2012, a semi-official Iranian religious foundation raised the bounty for Rushdie from $2.8 million to $3.3 million.
At the time, Rushdie dismissed the threat, saying there was no evidence of any interest in the reward.
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Born into a liberal Muslim family, Rushdie later became an atheist.
He was knighted for services to literature in 2007.
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