Five people have been injured in a knife attack at a mosque in the Albanian capital city, Tirana.
Police said a man entered the Dine Hoxha mosque around 14:30 local time and wounded five people worshipping there.
A 34-year-old suspect from Burrel was arrested at the scene and taken into custody.
The five wounded, all men aged from 22 to 35, were taken to hospital and are not reported to be in life-threatening conditions.
“Police services have given first aid to the injured citizens, who were transported to the hospital for medical assistance and are out of danger for life,” the authorities said in a statement.
Police have not disclosed any motive for the attack and are investigating the case with prosecutors.
It is believed to be the first time an attack has been carried out in a place of worship in the Balkan country.
Ahmed Kalaja, imam of the mosque, said the armed man attacked worshipers and staff at a time when the mosque was filled during Ramadan.
“I hope it is not a terrorist act but an unbalanced person,” Kalaja told local media.
The head of the Muslim Community of Albania, Bujar Spahiu, also condemned the attack, calling on the authorities to shed light on the event.
Sources at Euronews Albania say the suspect was wanted by police for another knife attack at a Tirana bus stop in March. This has not been confirmed by the authorities.
