Five Injured As Mosque Attacked In Sweden

Five people have been injured in a suspected arson attack on a mosque in Sweden.

Around 20 people were on the ground floor of the building in the city of Eskilstuna, some 55 miles west of Stockholm, when the fire broke out.

"A witness saw somebody throw an object through the window of the building, which serves as a mosque, after which a violent fire began," police spokesman Lars Franzell said.

Swedish news website ekuriren.se said residents were evacuated from nearby buildings as firefighters fought the flames.

The incident comes as Sweden grapples with a political crisis caused by the rise of the extreme right.

Earlier this month, the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats brought down the government by refusing to back its budget proposal in parliament.

Police said they were investigating the attack as a case of aggravated arson, but had no suspects yet.

The five injured were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, cuts and fractures.

"There has been an intensification of hatred against Muslims," Sweden's Islamic Association head Omar Mustafa told public radio SR.

In January, black swastikas were daubed on the front door of a Stockholm mosque and in December last year neo-Nazis attacked an anti-racist protest in the city, injuring three people.