MOSCOW, December 25 (Sputnik) — Five people have sustained injuries as fire engulfed a mosque in the Swedish city of Eskilstuna, Swedish police said Thursday.
According to the Swedish Expressen newspaper, five people have sustained injuries during the fire.
"We have witness statements that someone was seen throwing objects into the building, directly after which the fire broke out. We have launched a preliminary investigation of aggravated arson," police spokesman Lars Franzell told the newspaper.
The mosque was reportedly located in the ground floor of an apartment building and frequented by members of the city's Somali community.
Commenting to the Swedish SVT broadcaster, the congregation's spokesman, Abdirahman Farah, said that witnesses reported seeing a bottle containing what they believe to be gasoline left outside the building. The mosque has not been subject to threats or attacks in the past, Farah noted.
Eskilstuna is a city of some 65,000 inhabitants, located in the county of Sodermanland, north of Stockholm.
