US President Joe Biden condemned on Sunday the murders of four Muslims in the state of New Mexico, in operations that police suspect are connected. Biden expressed in a tweet his "anger and sadness over the horrific crimes in which four Muslim men were killed in Albuquerque."

He continued, "While awaiting the results of the investigation, I pray for the families of the victims, and my administration stands firmly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in the United States."

Police in the US state of New Mexico and federal agencies are investigating the killing of four Muslims to determine whether these crimes, the latest of which occurred Friday evening, are linked, at a time when the state's governor described them as "targeted murders."

Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina told reporters on Saturday that "a young man from the Muslim community was killed."

The name of the victim and the circumstances of the crime have not been disclosed. Police said that in the previous three cases, ambushes were set up for the victims and shots were fired at them without warning.

Medina said that it is likely that the young man's murder is linked to the previous three murders.

Earlier, New Mexico police said that it appears the other three Muslims who died in the state's largest city over the past nine months were targeted because of their religion and ethnic background.

Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico, said on Twitter late Saturday night that "the killing targeting Muslims living in Albuquerque is causing great anger and is absolutely unacceptable."

She also added that she has sent additional state police personnel to Albuquerque to assist with the investigation.
 

Two regular attendees of the same mosque were shot dead in Albuquerque in late July and early August. Police said there is a "strong possibility" that their deaths are linked to the killing of an Afghan immigrant in November.

Police said that Muhammad Afzal Hussain (27 years old), who worked as a planning director in the city of Española and who came to the United States from Pakistan, was shot dead on Monday outside his residential complex in Albuquerque.

Police said this followed the killing of Aftab Hussain (41 years old) from the large Afghan community in Albuquerque, who was found shot dead on July 26 near the city's international district.

Police said the two crimes are most likely linked to the shooting of Muhammad Ahmadi (62 years old) in a parking lot near a supermarket and café on November 7.