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 from Edgbaston in Birmingham, was remanded to appear at Coventry Magistrates Court this morning (23 March).
Abbkr is alleged to have sprayed a substance on two men and set it alight in separate incidents in Ealing and Birmingham on 27 February and 20 March.
This follows a 82-year-old man being set alight outside a mosque in Ealing on 27 February.
Mohammed Rayaz was set on fire in Edgbaston on Monday and it was caught on cctv.
Detectives, supported by counter-terror police, are questioning the suspect on suspicion of attempted murder.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said both incidents were now being linked and the man had been arrested over the Ealing attack on Wednesday.
Detectives from the Met and West Midlands Police were working closely together to establish the full circumstances.
While counter-terror police were involved, officers were keeping an open mind as to any potential motivation.
“At this stage we cannot speculate around the motive for the attacks, this is a live investigation and our main aim is to make sure communities are safe and that we bring justice for the victims,” the West Midlands force said.
The retired factory worker was sprayed with a substance before his jacket was set on fire near his home on Shenstone Road, a short distance from the Dudley Road mosque he had left.
Regarding the Ealing attack, Ch Supt Sean Wilson, of the Met’s West Area Command, said: “We completely understand the shock that resonated throughout the community following this incident.
“Despite a man having been arrested, we continue to be vigilant and urge local people to do the same.
“Highly visible patrols around Singapore Road will continue in the coming days to provide reassurance to local people and I urge anyone who is concerned to approach officers.”
