Gardaí are investigating an incident of suspected arson after a number of vehicles were damaged by fire on the South Circular Road in Dublin 8.
The incident took place at about 4.45am on Thursday morning and no injuries were reported.
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The Irish Times understands the Garda investigation has made significant progress, including the identification of a clear suspect. Gardaí suspect the man was intent on setting one vehicle on fire and that other cars parked beside it were also destroyed when the fire spread.
The suspect appears to have set the fire alone. He is well known to gardaí locally for involvement in high volume crime.
Gardaí were on Thursday searching for him. Sources said it would not be until gardaí spoke to him and carried out further investigations that they could be certain of his motive.
They believe the arson attack appears have gone wrong and the damage caused was much bigger than intended. Sources said there appears to be no link between the attack and the fact the Dublin Mosque is located very close by, also on South Circular Road.