Fire burns down mosque in northern France: Report

By Alaattin Dogru

ANKARA (AA) - A fire completely burnt down a mosque in northern France late Friday night, local media reported, with authorities suspecting an arson attack.

The incident took place at the Rambouillet mosque in the Yvelines department of the Ile-de-France region, according to Le Parisien newspaper.

An investigation has been launched to ascertain the cause of the fire, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter.

The mosque was built at the request of the Muslim community living in the region in 2009 on an area temporarily allocated by the Municipality of Rambouillet.

In France, where far-right and Islamophobic attacks are on the rise, many mosques have been attacked and some have been set on fire over the past year.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.