Anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh injure five, police arrest suspect

Counterterrorism detectives are leading the inquiry after a wave of violence across Edinburgh injured five men and ended with the arrest of a 36-year-old white Scottish man. Police Scotland said the first report came in at about 8:50 p.m. in Sighthill, and officers arrested the suspect roughly 40 minutes later, around 9:30 p.m., as they moved through calls from the city’s north and west.

The injured men were 22, 22, 24, 27 and 39. Three needed hospital treatment, but none of the injuries was life-threatening. Police said there was no further threat to the public, even as officers continued to examine reports of violent attacks that included threats, robbery and vandalism in Sighthill, Telford Road and Leith Walk.

The question of motive has become central. The Scottish Association of Mosques said two of the injured men were attacked after attending prayers at their local mosque, while Muslim Engagement and Development said several of those hurt were Muslim. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the suspect appears to have been motivated by anti-Muslim hatred and said he would face the full force of the law. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was horrified, and Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in Scotland.

Video posted on social media appeared to show a shirtless man carrying a long weapon and battering a restaurant door, while another clip seemed to show the same man on the ground shouting that he was “protecting the country.” Investigators have not publicly set out a final motive, and that will remain a key issue as counterterrorism officers and police review witness accounts, scene evidence and digital material connected to the attacks.

The Scottish Association of Mosques described the violence as the latest in an alarming pattern of hostility and attacks directed toward Muslims, mosques and Islamic institutions across Scotland. For people affected by terrorism, Victim Support says a national Support Hub launched on June 1 offers free, trauma-informed help to victims, witnesses, first responders and families anywhere in the UK.