Australia: Police suspect arson attack at synagogue

A synagogue was set on fire by unidentified arsonists in the Australian city of Melbourne on Friday, police said.

The fire broke out at 4:10 a.m. (1710 GMT) in the Adass Israel Synagogue while some worshippers were already inside, police said.

The fire left most of the building gutted and one person injured.

"There was some banging on a door with some liquid thrown inside and was lit alight, the few people inside the synagogue ran outside the back door, one of them got burnt," Adass Israel Synagogue board member Benjamin Klein told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The fire at the synagogue, which was established in the 1960s by Holocaust survivors, was doused by teams of firefighters.

Investigators suspect deliberate attack

The police suspect two mask-wearing men intentionally set fire to the synagogue.

A witness entering the synagogue for morning prayers saw "two individuals wearing masks," Detective Inspector Chris Murray of the Victoria Police arson and explosive squad told journalists at the scene.

"They appeared to be spreading an accelerant of some type in the premises," he said.

"We believe it was deliberate. We believe it has been targeted. What we don't know is why."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack at the synagogue and said there was no place for antisemitism in Australia.

"This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage. This attack has risked lives and is clearly aimed at creating fear in the community," Albanese said in a statement.

mfi/rc (AFP, Reuters)