Stockholm - Several cars and other vehicles were torched, while homemade explosives and stones were thrown at police in overnight clashes with youths Friday in the Swedish city of Malmo.

There were no injuries and some 20 people were briefly detained.

The troubles were described as the worst in protests linked to the recent closure of a basement used as a mosque in the Rosengard district. Most of the population in the district are immigrants.

The protests became violent after police on Monday evicted youths who for three weeks had occupied the basement, which also was being used as an Islamic centre.

Some protesters briefly apprehended earlier this week were described as anarchists and there were also reports that football hooligans were involved in some clashes.

The city of Malmo has some 270,000 inhabitants of which about 21,000 live in Rosengard. City officials estimate that some 50 languages are spoken in Rosengard, reflecting its multi-ethnic composition.

Earlier this year, emergency services demanded police escort before responding to fires or other accidents in parts of Rosengard after firefighters and vehicles were attacked by stones and fireworks. (dpa)