An 18-year-old British-Pakistani teenager has been killed in a knife attack outside a mosque in Smethwick, near Birmingham, in an incident that has left the local community shaken during the holy month of Ramadan.
The stabbing occurred on Friday evening outside Oldbury Jamia Masjid while worshippers were inside offering Taraweeh prayers.
The victim has been identified as Zeeshan Afzal, a resident of Smethwick. Two other young men, aged 19 and 22, were also injured in the incident and were taken to hospital for treatment. Police say their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Worshippers leaving the mosque after prayers described scenes of distress, with a large police and paramedic presence outside. The incident reportedly took place in the mosque’s car park, which was cordoned off as officers secured the area.
People inside the mosque were asked to remain there for around 40 minutes, and those who drove were later told they could not move their vehicles as the car park had been declared a crime scene.
West Midlands Police said they were called after reports of disorder in the car park of Jamia Masjid Chashma-e-Rahmat on Oldbury Road. Officers found Zeeshan with stab wounds; despite medical efforts at the scene, he later died.
A murder investigation has been launched as police work to establish what led to the attack and who was involved. The force said it is appealing to witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.
Police added that, at this stage, they are not treating the incident as racially or religiously motivated, and they plan to maintain a visible presence in the area to reassure residents.