Five Injured In Scotland Attacks That Appeared To Target Muslims, Authorities Say

LONDON — Counterterrorism detectives successful Scotland were investigating aft 5 group were injured successful attacks successful nan superior that appeared to target Muslims, constabulary said Saturday.

Police Scotland said that a 36-year-old man was arrested precocious Friday aft officers received aggregate reports of attacks successful nan westbound and northbound of Edinburgh.

The unit said that 5 men — 2 of them property 22, and others ages 24, 27 and 39 — sustained a scope of injuries, and 3 were hospitalized. None of nan injuries is considered life-threatening.

The kindness Muslim Engagement and Development said that respective of those injured are Muslim. The Scottish Assn. of Mosques said that 2 of nan injured men were attacked aft attending prayers astatine their section mosque.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that nan assailant “appears to beryllium motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.”

“I will not tolerate this — he will look nan afloat unit of nan law,” Starmer said successful a station connected X.

Video posted connected societal media appeared to show a shirtless man carrying a agelong limb roaming a thoroughfare and battering a edifice doorway successful nan Scottish capital. Another video seemed to show nan aforesaid man connected nan crushed shouting astir “protecting nan country” while being held by a constabulary officer.

U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “horrified by news of nan onslaught successful Edinburgh.”

“There is nary spot for hatred and unit against Muslims,” she said. “I cognize it is not who we are arsenic a country.”

The Muslim Council of Britain said successful a connection that nan Muslim organization is “rightly tense and worried.” It said that nan unit was “a nonstop consequence of governmental rhetoric that demonizes full communities.”

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said it was a “shocking” incident. She said that officers “are being supported by Counter Terrorism Policing.”

“I want to nonstop a clear connection of support to each our communities that location is nary spot for racism aliases faith-based dislike successful Scotland, which is astatine its champion erstwhile we guidelines together,” she said.

Lawless writes for nan Associated Press.