German police have reported the arrest of a 37-year-old Afghan citizen on suspicion of attempting to set fire to a synagogue in the city of Wuppertal in western Germany.

According to police, the incident occurred on Thursday September 17, the 26th of Sunbula, at around 2:00 PM.

The suspect poured flammable liquid at the entrance of the synagogue and then set it alight.

People present at the scene managed to extinguish the fire within a short time. As a result of the incident, no one was injured and the damage was reported as limited.

Police officers arrested the man near the scene shortly after the incident.

Police said he was already known to security forces.

The investigation into this incident is being conducted by the State Security Division of the German police.

Authorities have so far not provided further details about the possible motive for this act.

According to German media reports, the synagogue is under police protection around the clock, and security measures around it have been increased after this incident.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany has described the incident as an arson attack.

It is worth noting that this synagogue had been targeted in an attack in the past as well.

In Asad 1393 (2014), three Palestinian men threw flammable material toward its entrance, and in that incident, no one was injured either.

The three defendants in that case were subsequently sentenced to suspended punishments on charges of attempted arson.