Mob attacks Norway asylum centre

A group of more than 40 people armed with iron bars and knives has attacked a holding centre for asylum seekers in Norway, injuring more than 20 people.

The attack, at a centre in Valer, 60km (40 miles) south of Oslo, was sparked by a disagreement between two groups of asylum seekers, reports said.

No-one was seriously hurt but 10 people reportedly needed hospital treatment.

The Nordbybraten centre houses 200 refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Somalia and Eritrea.

Police said they were investigating the incident, but had made no arrests.

The head of the facility, Ole Morten Lyng, said the cause of the attack appeared to be a minor dispute between two groups at the centre that had been blown out of proportion.

Reports in local media suggest Chechens had been involved in long-running disagreements with other Muslims at the centre over religious practices.