Pakistanis and a Syrian attacked in Cologne amid New Year assaults tensions

A number of Pakistanis and a Syrian have been attacked in Cologne amid tensions over New Year’s Eve assaults in the city that have been blamed largely on foreigners, German police said.

They said six Pakistani nationals were attacked on Sunday by a group of around 20 people and two of them were briefly admitted to hospital.

Aand a Syrian man was attacked by five people on Sunday evening. He did not need treatment for his injuries.

Police said they are still investigating whether the attacks were racially motivated and whether there was any link to the New Year assaults.

Those assaults have stoked tensions over Germany’s open-door policy in the refugee crisis and prompted politicians to call for tougher laws against migrants who commit crimes.