It is generally concluded that there have been no deaths in the serial attacks that are linked to what, prima facie, appeared to be the work of a psychopath.

Two of the three victims who spoke to Khaleej Times are women. All the known attacks took place late at night, mainly on Al Corniche Road, in Al Mina Street and Al Yarmouk areas. Rumours about one or two more attacks are yet to be confirmed.

There is no official word yet on the incidents, but panic is widespread over the rumours in the past couple of weeks, and related reports in a section of the media.

SMS messages are also being circulated among women, warning them about the dangers of an unknown assailant — a “Sharjah Serial Killer”  and “Zoro”.

One of the victims is a media woman who lives at Al Mina Street. She was stabbed in her back by a man, who is believed to be black and tall. She was trying to enter the lift of her building at 1 am.

The victim, who does not want to be identified, said that the assault was not committed under motivation of stealing, but only to scare and frighten her.

She says she was saved by a Syrian woman who called the ambulance and police before being rushed to Al Kuwaiti Hospital where she was treated and sent back home. She had 20 stitches in her back. 

The second victim was a computer science student. She was wearing hijab. She came to the UAE along with her mother to be with her brother who has been living in Sharjah for nine years. She was trying to withdraw cash from the ATM machine located at Corniche Road at 11pm, when somebody appeared suddenly and stabbed her in her left leg.

She said she was saved by her mother and brother who were waiting nearby. She says they were told by the police at Kuwaiti Hospital that the assailant appeared to be suffering from mental problem, as “some other girls too had been attacked in recent times in a similar fashion”.

The third case is of a man working with a media organisation in Sharjah. He was trying to park his car near his house in Al Yarmouk area on Monday last, at about midnight. Someone who spoke in Arabic asked him to leave his car. When he refused, the man hit him on his nose. When he tried to defend himself another man came and beat him till he fainted.

He was also rushed to the Kuwait Hospital by his brother and a friend. After he was treated, it was noticed that the assailants had stolen a laptop, Dh3,500 in cash, and his mobile phone from the car.

He says he was told at the hospital that his case cannot be linked to the serial assault cases.

In view of the rumours, many mothers have prevented their daughters from going to school or work, for fear they might be assaulted. Nagla Ahmed, who lives in Sharjah Clock Tower area, said her mother had prevented her from going for her work in Jebel Ali, as she usually returned home at 11pm.

Haleema Al Hadidi said she heard about the assaults while she attended a post-funeral ceremony. She decided to confine her children to their home until things got clarified. Meanwhile, an SMS message is being circulated among women, warning them against staying out of their houses at night in view of the rumours.