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UK: Police charge suspect with attempted murder after two Muslims set on fire

The man from Edgbaston in Birmingham will appear at Coventry Magistrates' Court later, where he will be prosecuted
British police officers ride in Westminster in London, 21 March 2023 (AP)
British police officers ride in Westminster, London, 21 March 2023 (AP)

British police have charged a suspect with two counts of attempted murder, accusing him of setting two Muslim men alight outside mosques in Birmingham and London in separate incidents.

The BBC reported that Mohammed Abbkr, 28, will appear at Coventry Magistrates' Court later, where he will be prosecuted.

Abbkr, from Edgbaston in Birmingham, allegedly sprayed a substance on an 82-year-old man near a mosque in Ealing, London, on 27 February, and on a 70-year-old man outside a mosque in Edgbaston on Monday.

The two men were then set alight and sustained injuries.

The man in Edgbaston was seriously injured when his jacket was sprayed with a substance and then set on fire while near his home on Shenstone Road, a short distance from the Dudley Road mosque he had left.

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The man who was attacked in Ealing received treatment for severe burns to his face and arms.

West Midlands Police said: "We continue to ask anyone with CCTV, Ring doorbell footage, or video footage that could help our investigation to send this to us directly."

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said officers had worked closely with detectives from the West Midlands force during the investigation.

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