MOSCOW, November 17 (IslamOnline.net) - A number of mosques in Russia were burnt out by arsonists since the beginning of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, sounding alarm bells over a potential sectarian violence in the East European country, a press report said.

On Thursday, November 13, two mosques were set ablaze in western Russia, causing 130,000 rubles ($3,000) worth damage, Kappa newspaper reported Saturday, November 15.

A number of anonymous people threw explosive devices at one mosque building in Irkutsk governorate, and then set fire to it.

Ambulance vehicles rushed to the mosque, where plumes of fire were billowing up in the air. The interior and the façade of the mosque as well as its minaret were damaged.

Investigations are underway, and police are still hunting down those responsible.

The arson provoked the ire of Irkutsk Muslims, whose leaders met with the religious commission chairman in the governorate afterwards, the Russian paper said.

The Thursday attack came a few days after an attempted arson of a mosque in a nearby city of the governorate, members of the Central Authority for Russian Muslims told IslamOnline.net.

Also, perpetrators are still at large, they added.

Although the incentives for the attacks are still unclear, the chairman of the Russian Mufti Council lashed out at what he called attempts to "discriminate" against Muslims in Russia.

"The current situation could flare up and lead to sectarian disturbances," said Nafullah Ashirof.

Ashirof had earlier said that attacks by female Chechen bombers in July against Russian military targets caused a large wave of persecution against Muslims in Russia.

A number of Chechens have blew themselves up against Russian soldiers in the war-ravaged republic in protest at the continued Russian occupation of the republic and its soldiers' aggressions against innocent civilians there.