The American police last night identified the attacker of the British writer Salman Rushdie.

It is about the 24-year-old resident of New Jersey, Hadi Matar, who is originally from Lebanon. His family came to the United States from the southern Lebanese city of Yaroun, the city's mayor said. Ali Tehfe. Matar himself was born and raised in the United States, added the mayor.

When asked if Matar and his parents were members of Hezbollah or supported Hezbollah, Tehfe said he did not have any information about the political views of Matar's parents or Matar himself, as they live abroad.

A spokesman for the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah said today that he had no further information on the knife attack on writer Salman Rushdie.

"We know nothing about this matter, so we will not comment," said a Hezbollah official.