Armed police rush to Birmingham mosque after thugs attack Muslims

Armed police were called to two mosques in Birmingham, Britain, after windows were smashed during evening prayers.

Armed police were called to two mosques in Birmingham, Britain, after windows were smashed during evening prayers.

There were initial fears someone could have shot at the Masjid Qamarul Islam mosque and Al-Hijrah mosque, which were targeted minutes apart in Small Heath. 

Police said windows were smashed on Wednesday evening, amid counterterror investigations into the alleged Westminster attacker Salih Khater elsewhere in Birmingham.

West Midlands Police said the first attack came at 10pm and the second 20 minutes later.

“The first [attack] broke a window in the on Fosbrooke Road around 10pm, followed by another broken window at the Al-Hijrah mosque on Hob Moor Road,” a spokesperson said.

No one has been arrested in connection with the attacks and police continue to investigate.

They came hours after leaders of Birmingham Central Mosque, which was not targeted, said they feared further Islamophobia incidents in the wake of the Westminster incident.

 “We’re used to people from the EDL, BNP, the far right using us as scapegoats, but when people in the government say this it’s particularly harrowing for the community. It’s affecting people who are the most vulnerable in society.”

Islamophobia reporting group Tell Mama called the mosque attacks “extremely worrying” after it revealed an uptick in recent incidents.