Two arrested after fatal stabbing outside mosque in central England

West Midlands Police responded to reports of a large group of men fighting, some armed with knives outside the Jamiah Masjid and Institute in Coventry. (West Midlands Police)
West Midlands Police responded to reports of a large group of men fighting, some armed with knives outside the Jamiah Masjid and Institute in Coventry. (West Midlands Police)
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Updated 03 October 2022
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Two arrested after fatal stabbing outside mosque in central England

Two arrested after fatal stabbing outside mosque in central England
  • Armed police detained a 56-year-old man near the scene

LONDON: Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder after a stabbing outside a mosque in the English city of Coventry on Sunday.

Armed police detained a 56-year-old man near the scene, and a 27-year-old second suspect was arrested early on Monday.

West Midlands Police responded to reports of a large group of men fighting, some armed with knives outside the Jamiah Masjid and Institute in the city, where they found two people injured.

One of the wounded, a 52-year-old man, died from his injuries a few hours later.

“We’ve made some really good early progress in this investigation, but there is still a lot of work to be done in identifying all of those involved in what happened last night,” Detective Superintendent Shaun Edwards told the media.

“Officers are speaking with residents and community leaders to offer reassurance, and patrols in the area will be stepped up.”

A police statement said the force was treating the murder as an “isolated incident,” and have ruled out the killing being linked to wider sectarian unrest which has rocked English cities across the Midlands in recent weeks.

Following violence and arrests in Leicester and Smethwick last month, faith leaders in the UK warned that clashes between groups of Hindus and Muslims could spread across the country.