Five injured in hate attacks in Edinburgh, suspect arrested

Five men were injured in a series of violent attacks across Edinburgh on Friday evening, in an incident police are investigating as suspected racist or faith-based hate crimes. Counter-terrorism officers have taken over the investigation, which led to the arrest of a 36-year-old white Scottish man.

The first report came from the Sighthill area at approximately 8:50 p.m., where two men were injured and taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Police then received multiple calls about a fast-moving sequence of events involving threats, robbery, and vandalism at retailers across the west and north of the city. During this period, three other men were attacked in the Telford Road and Leith Walk areas.

Officers confronted a suspect around 9:30 p.m. Local police equipped with a Taser detained the man without discharging the weapon. Authorities stated there is no further threat to the public, and the suspect remains in custody.

The injured men, aged 22, 22, 24, 27, and 39, sustained a range of injuries. Three required hospital treatment, but none are believed to be life-threatening. The Muslim group MEND stated that several of those attacked were Muslim, a point echoed by the...