Police arrest man who tried to set mosque on fire

Police have arrested a man who tried to set a mosque on fire in the German city of Dresden late Tuesday evening.

The man spilt petrol in front of a mosque and tried to set the building on fire, a police spokesman said.

Witnesses called the emergency services number after they saw the man spilling petrol outside the mosque, which was well-attended at the time.

The man, 34, was arrested and is under police investigation for attempted aggravated arson.

Though his motive was initially unclear, the same suspect was said to have set fire to a copy of the Holy Qur’an in a mosque in April.