KOTA BARU: A 22-year-old housewife was wounded on the cheek when a gunman fired five shots at her car as she stopped at a traffic light 20m from the Binjai police station here on Friday.
In the 6.40pm incident, Nurul Atikah Sidek also sustained cuts on her right hand and nose from shards of the broken window.
Police believe it could be a case of mistaken identity.
Deputy Kelantan police chief Datuk Mazlan Lazim said the victim was alone in her Proton Persona heading for Kubang Kerian from Bachok when the incident occurred.
"Four men on two motorcycles approached her car and one of the pillion riders fired the shots.
"The four fled towards Bachok," he said yesterday.
Mazlan added that the shots hit the windscreen, the window and door panel on the passenger side.
"Based on initial investigations, the victim has no enemies.
"There is a possibility that the assailants had hit the wrong target."
He said the case had been classified as attempted murder.
Nurul Atikah was reported to be in stable condition at Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kubang Kerian.
A forensic police officer inspecting Nurul Atikah Sidek’s car at the crime scene in Kota Baru yesterday. Pic by Nik Abdullah Nik Omar
NST
Five shots and she's still alive
KOTA BARU: A 22-year-old woman had a miraculous escape after unknown gunmen on two motorcycles fired five shots at her at a traffic light junction at Chabang Empat, Binjai, near here.
The shots smashed the windscreen of her car and pieces of glass cut her right cheek, nose, right arm and hands. However, Nurul Atikah Idris survived the attack which occurred on Friday.
As she stepped out of the car with her blood-soaked face and hands, passers-by rushed to her aid and took her to a nearby police station.
She was then rushed to the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital where her condition was reported to be stable.
Lucky escape: Nurul Atikah showing her injuries at the Binjai police station in Kota Baru.
Police said she could have been a victim of mistaken identity.
Nurul Atikah was travelling to Kubang Kerian from Bachok when the shots were fired point-blank, not far from the Binjai police station, at around 6.40pm on Friday.
Witness Wan Mat Zain Wan Omar, 64, said he and a friend were about 50m away and thought some children were playing with fire-crackers when they heard the shots.
“I only realised they were gunshots when I saw people rushing to the car and crowding around it,” he said.
State deputy police chief SAC Datuk Mazlan Lazim said initial investigations revealed there were four men involved and two had fired the shots.
“There is a possibility that the assailants shot at the wrong target,” he said.
“The victim sustained light injuries after the assailants shot at the car’s windscreen,” he added.
Police have since launched Ops Tutup to hunt down the four suspects.
The case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.
