4 suspects detained over arson attack on Turkish mosque in Germany

Four Syrian men have been detained in relation to an arson attack on a Turkish mosque in the southern German city of Ulm last week, authorities said Thursday.

The men, who were arrested Wednesday, are under investigation for attempted murder and attempted serious arson, Ulm police and the Stuttgart prosecutor's office said.

One of the accused has confessed to involvement in the crime, the authorities said, adding that the attack may have been politically motivated.

The investigators declined to comment as to whether the crime was committed as an act of protest against Turkey's Operation Olive Branch to clear PKK-linked People's Protection Unit (YPG) terrorists from northern Syrian region of Afrin.

Two of the detained suspects are 18 years old; the others are 24 and 27.

According to initial findings, a window on the ground floor of the building, which houses a Turkish mosque association, was hit by a petrol bomb in the early hours of March 19.

Several unused incendiary devices were found at the scene.

The PKK has been banned in Germany since 1993, but it remains active, with nearly 14,000 followers in the country.