Syrian Kurd sets himself on fire outside UN refugee agency in Geneva – reports

A man reportedly set himself on fire outside the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday morning. The man was then transported by helicopter to a local hospital.

“He is a Syrian Kurd, born in 1988 and a resident in Germany,” Geneva police spokesperson Silvain Guillaume-Gentil told reporters.

The incident reportedly took place at around 7.40am and comes amid high tensions in north-eastern Syria, following the US decision to pull 1,000 troops from the region. The move  cleared the way for Turkey to move in on Kurdish-controlled territory.