London, Europe Brief News – British police arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder after a Muslim man was set on fire on his way home from a mosque in central England.
British counterterrorism officers have been immediately called to assist in the investigation.
Police said the victim, in his 70s, was walking home from a mosque in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham on Monday evening when he was approached by a man who sprayed him with a substance and then set his jacket on fire.
The man suffered burns to his face that are not thought to be life-threatening.
Police arrested the suspect on Dudley Road, the street where the mosque is located. It is also close to where the attack took place.
Police are investigating a video of an attack that was shared on social media. The footage showed a man being set on fire.
“Our officers have been working through the night to establish what happened and who is responsible,” Chief Superintendent Richard North of West Midlands Police said.
“We are keeping an open mind to the motive of the attacker. We won’t speculate further at this stage.”
In a joint statement, the city council’s leader Ian Ward, cabinet member for community safety John Cotton and ward councillors Sharon Thompson and Marcus Bernasconi called the attack “horrific” and urged the community to work with the police. They added that dialogue would continue with local mosques and community groups “to offer support to the wider community”.
