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6 injured as car collides with crowd celebrating Eid in the UK

Posted at 8:52 AM, Jun 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-25 08:52:22-04

An incident in which a car collided with six pedestrians following an Eid al-Fitr event in Newcastle, England, is not thought to be linked to terrorism, police said Sunday.

The incident happened at 9:14 a.m. (4:14 a.m. ET) outside a sports center in the city, which is in northeastern England. No details about the nature and severity of any injuries were immediately available.

Police confirmed that a 42-year-old woman had been arreste

d and added that they were not pursuing anyone else.

“It is not believed to be a terror incident,” Northumbria police said in a statement.

“Police enquiries are ongoing to establish exactly what happened.”

Authorities said extra officers have been deployed to patrol in Newcastle and surrounding communities to “reassure members of the public.”

A statement from Newcastle Central Mosque on its Facebook page said that the incident took place immediately after prayers.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan

Islam’s lunar calendar means that the time of Eid can vary in different countries, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Events are taking place across the UK, with the largest of those, Eid in the Park, happening in Birmingham.

The incident comes less than a week after one man died and others were injured when a man plowed a van into a crowd of worshipers leaving Ramadan prayers in Finsbury Park, London. Authorities there have charged a man with terrorism-related murder and attempted murder.