Mosque fire assault suspect charged with attempted murder in UK

LONDON

A suspect has been charged with attempted murder following two separate attacks on two men who were set alight outside mosques in Birmingham and London.

"A man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder following incidents in Birmingham and London in the last month. Mohammed Abbkr, aged 28, was remanded to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court this morning," the West Midlands Police said in a statement.

Abbkr is alleged to have sprayed a substance on two men and set them alight in separate incidents in Ealing and Birmingham on Feb. 27 and March 20, said police, adding that the investigation was carried out jointly between the West Midlands Police, Counter Terrorism Policing, and the Metropolitan Police.

Mohammed Rayaz, 70, was set on fire and heavily injured while walking from the local mosque to his home in Edgbaston, Birmingham on Monday.

Following the incident in Birmingham, the West Midlands Police said earlier that they were also aware of a similar incident that took place in West London on Feb. 27 and working to uncover any possible links.