Two arrested in connection with 5 acid attacks in London
London police have arrested two people in connection with five acid attacks over Thursday night which left several people injured.
During the successive attacks, at least five people were injured with a man suffering life-changing facial injuries, British police said Friday.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and robbery, police said, adding a 15-year-old boy was also arrested and taken into custody on the same allegations.
The two suspects had stolen mopeds belonging to their victims and drove around the city and threw acid on strangers.
The 90-minute incident took place in Islington, Stoke Newington and Hackney, police officials stated.
Hackney resident Jon Moody said he heard screaming and ran to the window while he was watching TV.
"I heard a high-pitched scream but thought it was the boys playing football... I heard more shouting and ran to my window," he said. "I could see a man in serious distress, he was screaming in pain.”
"There were only two police officers with the victim, they took out two large water canisters and poured it over him," he added.
Acid attacks are on the rise in London, according to a report released by the Metropolitan Police Service released in March.
In June, an acid attack left two Muslim cousins seriously injured in east London.
Jameel Muhktar and Resham Khan were sitting in their car at traffic lights in Beckton on the morning of 21 June, Khan’s 21st birthday, when a man approached their car, knocked on the window and sprayed acid on them.
They both suffered severe burns to their faces and bodies while Jameel was briefly placed in an induced coma.
UK police launched a hate crime investigation into the crime committed by 24-year-old John Tomlin.
Mukhtar, 37, said there was no other reason for the attack than Islamophobia, especially in the wake of the recent terror attacks in Manchester and London.
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