Counter-terrorism officers are involved in the investigation into a series of incidents in Edinburgh that have left five people injured. Police Scotland moved to reassure residents as the inquiry got under way, confirming that an arrest had already been made in connection with the events.
According to Police Scotland, a 36-year-old man has been detained. The force described him as a white Scottish man and said that, following his arrest, there is no further threat to the public. He has not been named, and no charges had been set out publicly at this stage.
The investigation was triggered after officers were called to the report of an incident in the city, in which two men were injured the previous night. In total, five people are reported to have been hurt across the series of incidents now being examined by police.
The case has now drawn a response from the heart of the UK government. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was horrified by the news of an attack in Edinburgh, and she thanked the police and emergency services for their bravery in apprehending the suspect, underlining the seriousness with which the events are being treated.
In her statement, Mahmood said the suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. She declared that there is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims, adding that she knows it is not who Britain is as a country. The characterisation came from the Home Secretary as the police inquiry continues and the full circumstances are still being established.
The organisation Muslim Engagement and Development, known as MEND, said earlier that several of those injured are Muslim. That account adds a community dimension to a case that has now been publicly linked by the government to hostility towards Muslims, even as formal findings remain to be confirmed.
Police Scotland's emphasis that there is no longer a threat to the public was issued alongside the news of the arrest, an attempt to steady nerves in the Scottish capital. The force indicated that its inquiries are continuing as officers work to piece together exactly what happened and why.