UK police charge man after two attempted murders near mosques

UK police on Thursday charged a 28-year-old man with the attempted murders of two elderly men who were set on fire after they left mosques, in separate attacks.

West Midlands Police said Mohammed Abbkr, 28, from Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England, would appear at the city’s magistrates court.

He was arrested on Tuesday following an investigation involving counter-terrorism police and remains in custody.

Abbkr allegedly sprayed a substance on the two men outside or near mosques they had attended and then set them alight, in incidents in west London on February 27 and Birmingham on Monday.

The victim of the attack in the British capital, who was treated for severe burns to his face and arms, was 82 years old.

The perpetrator engaged him in conversation before dousing him in what is believed to be petrol and setting him on fire, according to police.

In the Birmingham attack, Mohammed Rayaz, 70, was set on fire as he walked home from a mosque in the Edgbaston area of the city on Monday evening.

He remains in the hospital with severe injuries.

Police are appealing for security cameras, doorbell footage or other videos that could help the investigation.