A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after four people, including a policeman, were stabbed at a mosque in Birmingham.
Officers were called to the mosque on Washwood Heath Road in Ward End at about 23:00 BST on Saturday.
West Midlands Police said three men were found with stab injuries.
As police arrested the man, who is 32 years old, the officer was also wounded. All four are in a stable condition in hospital.
The incident began during the final prayer session of the evening.
Eyewitnesses report that a man of Somali appearance began attacking worshippers with a machete.
Mohammed Shafiq, the leader of national Muslim organisation the Ramadhan Foundation, said his thoughts were with the injured and their families.
“It is too early to speculate on the circumstances of the stabbings but we must be clear there should be no place for this sort of violence in our country.
“I have spoken to someone who lives a few doors down from the mosque and they described hearing an argument between some of the people inside the mosque.
“It escalated into violence and a police officer has been stabbed.”
According to Mr Shafiq, a nearby resident believed the dispute was a domestic incident between members.
BBC Midlands correspondent Peter Wilson reported: “All lines of enquiry are being investigated, but this does not appear to be a hate crime attack.”
The mosque involved is thought to be the Washwood Heath Muslim Centre in Ward End.
Officers are conducting patrols in the area in a bid to reassure local people, a spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said.
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