West Midlands Police says the man suffered serious facial injuries in the attack in Birmingham.
Image source, GoogleA man has been set alight while walking home from a mosque in Birmingham.
Police said the attack had taken place in Brixham Road, Edgbaston, just after 19:00 GMT on Monday.
He was walking home from a mosque in Dudley Road when, West Midlands Police believes, another man approached him and spoke to him briefly.
The individual then sprayed the victim with an unknown substance and set alight his jacket. The motive for the attack is so far unclear, say officers.
The injured man was taken to hospital with burns to his face which are not thought to be life threatening.
A video of an attack shared on social media which shows a man being set alight is also being investigated by police as part of the investigation.
Extra officers have been sent into the area to speak to the community and provide reassurance.
‘Horrific attack’
Supt James Spencer said: “Our officers have been working through the night to establish what happened and who is responsible.
“We are determined to find the person responsible and get those answers as soon as possible, and I’d urge the community to work with us and to avoid any speculation at this stage.”
In a joint statement, the city council’s leader Ian Ward, cabinet member for community safety John Cotton and ward councillors Sharon Thompson and Marcus Bernasconi called it a “horrific attack”.
They also said they would be talking with community groups and local mosques “to offer support to the wider community”.
“We would urge the community to work with the police and to avoid any speculation at this stage,” they added.
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