Northern France mosque burns down in suspected arson attack

A Muslim place of worship in northern France was completely burned down by a fire late Friday night.

Authorities suspect an arson attack, according to local media reports.

The incident took place at the Rambouillet mosque in the Yvelines department of the Ile-de-France region, Le Parisien newspaper reported.

An investigation has been launched to ascertain the cause of the fire, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter.

The mosque was built at the request of the Muslim community living in the region in 2009 on an area temporarily allocated by the Municipality of Rambouillet.

In France, where far-right and Islamophobic attacks are on the rise, many mosques have been attacked and some have been set on fire over the past year.