Armed mob vandalizes mosque, thrashes worshippers in Haryana's Sonipat, 16 detained

An armed mob reportedly vandalized a mosque and thrashed people offering Namaz (prayers) inside the premises in a village of Sonipat district of Haryana on Sunday.

According to reports, tensions were high in Sonipat’s Sandal Kalan village after a mob of 20 people, armed with lathis (sticks), stormed a mosque, vandalized the place and thrashed worshippers there on Sunday.

They said that 15-20 attackers, who were locals belonging to the same village, allegedly attacked a small mosque in the area when some people were offering Ramadan prayers on Sunday evening.

Police said that an FIR has been registered against 19 people in connection with the incident and 16 people have been detained the “unprovoked” attack and are being questioned.

As per reports, at least nine people, identified as— Istaeq Ali, Alamir, Sabir Ali, Faryad, Ansar Ali, Julekha, Ali Taab, Nargis, and Jarina—were injured in the attack and have been admitted to Sonipat Civil Hospital for medical treatment.

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A senior police official said that they received information during the night that some anti-social elements had entered barged into the mosque and beat up worshippers offering prayers in the premises.

Sonipat Police Commissioner B Satheesh Balan said that additional police force was deployed after the incident to maintain communal harmony and the situation in village has returned to normal now.

The senior officer said the attack was “unprovoked” as no previous incident in the village was reported which could’ve caused disharmony between communities.

Visuals of the alleged attackers roaming the streets of the village with lathis in their hands have surfaced on social media.

Reports quoting locals said some young men from the village entered the mosque and asked the worshipers inside to stop praying. The men later vandalized the place, they said, adding that some children were also inside the mosque when the alleged attack took place.

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