Syrian man sets himself on fire outside UN building: police

A Syrian Kurdish man set himself on fire Wednesday outside the headquarters of the United Nations refugee agency and was receiving treatment for his injuries, police told AFP.

The 31-year-old German resident did not provide any explanation for his actions, Geneva police spokesman Silvain Guillaume-Gentil said.

"We can imagine his reasons, but we do not have anything concrete," Guillaume-Gentil said.

"He had a hard time expressing himself when help arrived."

Kurds have organised a series of demonstrations to protest the assault that Turkey launched on October 9 against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria.

The incident occurred shortly before 8:00 am (0600 GMT) outside UNHCR, which is across the street from the Palais des Nations, the UN's European headquarters.

 

Responders arrived quickly and the injured man was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Lausanne, where he was being treated for his injuries, police said.