The writer's agent, Salman Rushdie, revealed his health condition after he was stabbed several times in different parts of his body, and while the American judiciary charged the attacker with attempted murder, new information emerged about his identity, his upbringing and the moments prior to carrying out the attack.

The agent of the British writer confirmed that his health condition is not good, as he is subject to artificial respiration and it is likely that his client will lose one of his eyes, and he also suffers from a cut in the nerves in one of his arms and damage to the liver after he was stabbed yesterday, Friday.

"The news is not good, and it is possible that Salman will lose one of his eyes. The nerves in his hands have been severed, his liver has been stabbed and damaged," Agent Andrew Wylie said in a written statement.

Earlier, US police spokesman James O'Callaghan said that writer Salman Rushdie is undergoing surgery after being attacked.

The police in New York state identified the attacker, Salman Rushdie, and reported that he is a 24-year-old Lebanese-American from New Jersey named Hadi Matar.

O'Callaghan added at a news conference that the motive behind the crime was not yet clear.

Prosecutors in Chautauqua County, New York state, said Hadi Matar is facing attempted murder and is being held without bail.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt said in a statement that he has charged two counts of attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault.

The British novelist of Indian origin, Salman Rushdie, was stabbed in the neck and abdomen on Friday when he was giving a lecture in New York.

It is noteworthy that Rushdie disappeared from public view for many years after the late leader of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa to kill him, in response to his publication in 1989 of the novel "The Satanic Verses", which includes insults to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace.

The attack occurred when Rushdie was being introduced to a lecture on freedom of creativity in front of hundreds of attendees at the Chautauqua Institute in New York, when the attacker rushed to the stage and stabbed the writer several times.

Salman Rushdie has been living in hiding since the end of the eighties (Reuters)

Details from Lebanon

NBC New York reported that a preliminary law enforcement review of Matar's accounts on social media showed that he had "extremist Shiite tendencies" and expressed sympathy with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, although no specific links were found between them.

The network stated in its report that Matar was born in California and recently moved to New Jersey, adding that security forces found a false driver's license with him.

In Lebanon, Ali Tahfeh, the mayor of Yaroun in southern Lebanon, said that the suspect was the son of a man from the town.

He added that the suspect's parents immigrated to the United States, where he was born and raised.

Asked whether the suspect or his parents belonged to Hezbollah, Tuhfa said he had absolutely no information about their political views.

An official in the Lebanese Hezbollah said that they did not have any additional information about the stabbing incident, "and therefore we will not issue any comment."

Congratulations from Iran

For its part, the Iranian newspaper "Kayhan" congratulated the attacker.

"Congratulations to this brave man of duty who attacked the apostate and villain Salman Rushdie," she wrote.

"Let us kiss the hand of the one who slashed the neck of the enemy of God with a knife," she added.

Mehrab Bighdali, who introduces himself as a devout Shiite, said, "I was very pleased to hear the news. Whoever carried it out (the attacker) kissed his hand (..) God damn Salman Rushdie."

It is noteworthy that Salman Rushdie was born on June 19, 1947 in Bombay, and grew up in a family of wealthy and progressive Muslim intellectuals.

He angered the Muslim world with his novel "The Satanic Verses", which prompted Ayatollah Khomeini to issue a fatwa in 1989 calling for his killing.

The novelist has since been forced to hide and live in secrecy under the protection of the police.