Arson attack at Swedish mosque leaves five injured

Rasa - Unknown assailants have launched an arson attack on a mosque in central Sweden, injuring at least five people.

News ID: 1901

Date: 27 December 2014 - 04:20

RNA - Swedish police are treating a fire at a mosque in the town of Eskilstuna as arson.

Five people were reportedly injured in the attack, which happened on Thursday afternoon.

The mosque is located on the ground floor of a building in the city of Eskilstuna, some 90 kilometres west of Stockholm.

According to police, the fire started in the early afternoon.

"Somebody threw an object through a closed window and afterwards a fire started inside," police spokesman Lars Franzell told AFP.

"There were between 15 and 20 people in the premises."

Police said they were investigating the incident as a case of aggravated arson but had no suspects yet.

The five injured were taken to hospital to be treated for injuries including smoke inhalation, lacerations and fractures.

Swedish ministers have condemned the arson attack saying ''We are not doing enough to protect regardless of whether it is a mosque or other religious communities.”

''If it is true that the attack is caused by arson, then it is a direct attack against religious freedom in our country,'' Culture Minister Alice Bah Kuhnke was quoted as saying by Swedish local newspapers on Thursday.

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