75-year-old man arrested over bomb blast at British mosque

LONDON (AP) - The British police have arrested a 75-year-old man on suspicion of causing an explosion after a homemade bomb went off near a mosque.

The West Midlands Police said the man was arrested by counterterrorism officers on Thursday at his home in Walsall, near the central England city of Birmingham.

About 150 people were evacuated from homes near the Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre in Walsall after remains of the device were found in an alleyway last Saturday.

The police said residents reported hearing a bang late last Friday, but there were no reports of injuries and minimal damage.

Several mosques and Islamic centres in Britain have been vandalised since a British soldier was killed in London in May, allegedly by Islamic extremists.

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