NATION

Man, 18, fatally stabbed outside Smethwick mosque

Zeshan Afzal, 18, died after a stabbing outside a mosque in Smethwick. Two others were injured; police say it is not being treated as hate-related.

Police said a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old were also taken to hospital after violence outside the building on Oldbury Road in Smethwick just before 21:00 GMT on Friday. Naming the dead man on Saturday afternoon as Zeshan Afzal from Smethwick, the West Midlands force confirmed a murder investigation was under way.

It also said the incident was not being treated as religiously or racially aggravated. The injuries to the other two men were not life-threatening, police added.

The force said it was carrying out inquiries to establish what happened and there would be a visible police presence in the area to provide reassurance to the public.