US police arrest man over murders of Muslim men

Police in the US city of Albuquerque say they have arrested their "primary suspect" wanted for the killing of four Muslim men.

Police chief Harold Medina tweeted about the breakthrough, saying they had tracked down a vehicle believed to be involved and detained the driver.

The murders took place over the past nine months, with the last three happening in the past two weeks.

Police have not confirmed the attacks are linked.

Three of the men were originally from Pakistan and attended the same mosque. Officers said they were "ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed".

A fourth man, Mohammad Ahmadi, originally from Afghanistan, was killed last November.

Police have not yet suggested that the killings were hate-motivated, saying that the could not do so until they had identified a suspect.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden said he was "angered and saddened by the horrific killings", adding "these hateful attacks have no place in America".

The search for the suspect had steadily grown in size over recent days after New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said she was sending additional law enforcement officers to the city to aid investigators.

Several organisations had offered significant rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect.

Ahmad Assed, a spokesperson for the Islamic Center of New Mexico, told the BBC the killings have been horrific for the city's Muslim community.

"We're hopeful that our state will emerge again as the state we all know, as the warm and diverse, the diverse cultures, the welcoming of diverse cultures that has been," he said.

Police plan to reveal more information later on Tuesday.