The mayor of the Belgian city of Bruges, Dirk De fauw, has been released from hospital after surviving a knife attack.

De fauw was seriously injured on Saturday when he was stabbed by a man he now says he knew.

The 62-year-old mayor was taken to the hospital and had to undergo emergency surgery.

"I am convinced that he came to kill me. But why? I would very much like to know," the mayor said on Sunday, according to local media outlet HLN.

Read more: UK: Multiple stabbing in Reading declared terror attack

The stabbing left a 14-centimeter (5.5-inch) gash in his neck which required 24 stitches and caused De fauw to lose a lot of blood, according to local media reports.

"I was lucky that it was a short knife," De fauw said, adding that he was relieved to discharged from the hospital and be sent home to recover.

The mayor, who is also a lawyer, said the assailant was a former client whom he had defended in court multiple times.

Authorities confirmed that a 35-year-old had been arrested and said the motive remains unclear. The suspect has not made any statements regarding the stabbing, his lawyer said.

Read more: King Leopold II statue removed in Antwerp after anti-racism protests

Bruges is located near the coast in northwestern Belgium and has a population of 120,000. The city is known for its medieval history and is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.

jcg/mm (AFP, dpa)

Sign up for DW's newsletters: