Arsonists set Melbourne synagogue ablaze

Fire fighters gather at the scene of a fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6, 2024. Mask-wearing arsonists set a synagogue ablaze in a pre-dawn attack on December 6 in the Australian city of Melbourne, police said, sparking widespread condemnation. [AFP]

Mask-wearing arsonists set a synagogue ablaze in a pre-dawn attack Friday in the Australian city of Melbourne, police said, sparking widespread condemnation.

The fire broke out at 4:10 am (1710 GMT Thursday) in the Adass Israel Synagogue when some congregants were already inside, police said, gutting much of the building in the southeast Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea.