Germany arrests Afghan suspected of synagogue arson

An Afghan citizen suspected of having carried out an arson attack against a synagogue in the western German city of Wuppertal was arrested on Thursday, police told AFP.

Confirming reports in the German press, the police spokesperson said someone had "apparently attempted to set a secondary entrance on fire", but "the fire quickly extinguished afterwards by members of the synagogue".

The suspect "spread a flammable liquid on the steps in front of the synagogue" before "setting it alight", the police also said in a separate statement.

"No one was injured," the spokesman told AFP, adding that the damage caused was minimal.

According to law enforcement, the suspect was 37 years old, "known to the police and of Afghan nationality".

He was arrested immediately after the incident near the Jewish temple. According to the initial investigation, he appears to have acted alone, the police said.

The President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, condemned the attack in a statement, arguing that it shows "the progressive normalisation of hatred towards Jews" in the country.

In recent years, Germany has seen a rash of attacks or attempted attacks with either a jihadist or far-right motive, which have brought questions of security to the forefront.