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Fire at Sweden's largest Shia mosque was likely arson, police say

01 May 2017 10:45 (UTC +04:00)

Parts of a large mosque in the northern Stockholm suburb of Jakobsberg were destroyed in a fire late on Sunday night in what police suspect was an arson attack, APA reports citing The Local.

The fire appears to have started in the building’s façade and police suspect that it was set intentionally.

The fire at the Imam Ali Islamic Center was first reported shortly after 11pm on Sunday night and national media showed images of large flames engulfing the building.

“It appears to have been set from outside,” Lars Byström, a press spokesman for the Stockholm Police, said.

A mosque spokesman told SVT News that members were “very worried”.

“This is the largest Shia mosque in Sweden, with thousands of members, and there are already dozens of members here on the spot right now,” Akil Zahiri told SVT News in the early morning hours of Monday. “They are very worried. I feel terrified, stressed and sad.”

Zahiri said that there were a few people in the mosque when the fire was first noticed. A party had been held earlier in the evening.