(MENAFN) Counter-terrorism officers are involved in an investigation into the attempted murder of a man who was set alight after leaving a mosque, UK police said on Tuesday. The attack happened in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, central England, just after 7:00 p.m. on Monday. A man has been arrested.
This attack followed a similar incident last month when an 82-year-old man was set on fire outside a mosque in the Ealing area of west London. The Birmingham police are working with the Metropolitan Police Service to see whether the two attacks are linked.
West Midlands Police chief superintendent Richard North said counter-terrorism police were supporting the investigation and had “access to specialist capabilities to help establish the full circumstances.” In the latest attack, the victim was walking home from a nearby mosque when he was sprayed with an unknown substance and had his jacket set on fire. He suffered burns to his face and was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
The Muslim Council of Britain expressed concern over the attack and called on the police to do everything in their power to find the perpetrator(s). The group also warned of a rise in Islamophobia and urged the government to take action to combat it.
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