MAN CONFESSES TO NEW YORK FIREBOMB ATTACKS

A man whose identity was not immediately released by the New York city police has confessed to a string of arson attacks at an Islamic cultural centre and four other sites in the city on New Year's Day, BBC said.

New York City Police spokesman Paul Browne said the man was taken into custody after he made statements implicating himself in the attacks saying he had personal grievances with each targeted location.

The targets of his attacks were the Imam al-Khoei Foundation, a convenience store, two homes in Queens, one in Nassau County, using crude Molotov cocktails.

The Imam al-Khoei Foundation, an Islamic cultural center in the borough of Queens, suffered damage to its front door but no one was hurt.

New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Michael Bloomberg condemned the attacks, Cuomo saying "attacks such as this have no place in our open and inclusive society and we must do all we can to ensure New York remains a safe and tolerant place for all."

Police were looking if the bombings have any connection to incidents outside New York City.