Ajaccio (France), Nov. 27 (Reuters): A group of attackers fired repeatedly at a Muslim prayer centre on the Mediterranean island of Corsica in the early hours of today, narrowly missing a Moroccan imam inside, police said.

The men had painted a swastika on the floor outside the prayer centre in Sartene in the south of the island, as well as the slogan: ?Arabi Fora? (?Arabs Out? in Corsican), police said. The imam, alerted by the noise, had gone to investigate when they shot at the door. He escaped injury by throwing himself against a wall.

Violence against foreigners has risen in recent months in Corsica, where separatists have carried out low-key attacks since the 1970s.