Attack on Belfast Islamic center during evening prayers investigated as hate crime
A 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a terror offense in Northern Ireland for allegedly tossing a suspicious device into the Belfast Islamic Center during evening prayers, police said Saturday.
No one was injured in the Friday attack but Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said ammunition officers determined the object was capable of causing harm. He didn't specify what kind of device it was.
McNally said detectives were looking into whether it was a hate crime. No one else was believed to be involved in the attack.
'It is important to stress that, while the suspect has been arrested under the Terrorism Act, the motive for the attack has not yet been established,' McNally said.
Police provided no other information about the suspect but said he was in custody.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn called it a 'shameful attack' and local politicians condemned it as cowardly.
'Hatred of this sort has no place in Northern Ireland,' Benn said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Cyprus police arrest man on spying, terror charges
Police declined to provide extensive details, citing 'national security,'Local media said the suspect was seen acting suspiciously near a British air force base at AkrotiriNICOSIA: Cyprus police said they arrested an individual on espionage and terror charges on Saturday, with local media reporting the suspect had ties to declined to provide extensive details, citing 'national security,' but local media said the suspect was seen acting suspiciously near a British air force base at Akrotiri, outside the southern coastal city of news outlet Philenews reported the man had links to 'Iranian operatives' and had arrived on the Mediterranean island last month posing as a British said the arrest in Limassol on Saturday was based on information from a foreign intelligence service.'Following a coordinated operation today, an individual suspected of involvement in terrorism-related offenses was arrested,' said a brief police suspect appeared before a district court and was issued an eight-day remand order for 'offenses related, among others, to terrorism and espionage,' the police statement said high-resolution cameras, telephoto lenses, notes, computers and three mobile phones were discovered at the suspect's described the suspect as being of Azeri descent, referring to an ethnic group present in Azerbaijan and northwest outlet also reported that two people believed to be linked to the case were arrested in British foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to a request for to its location in the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus has become a key transit hub for third-country nationals fleeing the region since the recent outbreak of hostilities between Israel and has also become a staging post for Israelis seeking to return home by air or sea after being stranded abroad by the start of the fighting.
Al Arabiya
6 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Attack on Belfast Islamic center during evening prayers investigated as hate crime
A 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a terror offense in Northern Ireland for allegedly tossing a suspicious device into the Belfast Islamic Center during evening prayers, police said Saturday. No one was injured in the Friday attack but Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said ammunition officers determined the object was capable of causing harm. He didn't specify what kind of device it was. McNally said detectives were looking into whether it was a hate crime. No one else was believed to be involved in the attack. 'It is important to stress that, while the suspect has been arrested under the Terrorism Act, the motive for the attack has not yet been established,' McNally said. Police provided no other information about the suspect but said he was in custody. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn called it a 'shameful attack' and local politicians condemned it as cowardly. 'Hatred of this sort has no place in Northern Ireland,' Benn said.
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
PM Sharif seeks action after two police officers shot dead in northwest Pakistan
PESHAWAR: Two police officers were shot and killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on their mobile patrol van in Swabi, a district in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directing authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. The attack took place around 10:00 p.m. Friday night near a roadside kiosk within the jurisdiction of the Gadoon police station, according to Abdul Majid, a senior police officer in Swabi. The officers had briefly stopped to get water when they were ambushed by gunmen on a motorbike. 'Terrorists riding a motorbike opened fire on the police party,' Majid told Arab News over the phone. 'Two officers were martyred on the spot.' Militant attacks in KP, particularly by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have increased in recent years, with security forces, government officials and civilians often targeted. The Pakistani military and law enforcement agencies have launched intelligence-based operations to curb the violence, but attacks have persisted. Following the shooting, a large police contingent was deployed to the area to secure the scene, collect forensic evidence and launch a search operation. No arrests have been made so far, and the investigation is ongoing. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Swabi attack and expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the police officers. 'We pay tribute to the martyrs and pray for patience for their families,' he said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. Sharif directed authorities to investigate the incident and ensure those responsible are brought to justice. 'The war against terrorism will continue until this scourge is eradicated from the country,' he said, praising the efforts of police officers fighting on the front lines.
