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Two teenagers were arrested in south Manchester, England, in connection with the Texas incident and were awaiting questioning, U.K.
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legally, and cleared vetting before his arrival, a separate US federal law enforcement source said. via a flight to New York in late December and was not on any U.S. authorities base their belief about Akram's motivation on discussions with him during hostage negotiations and from audio of a livestream of the Sabbath service that captured the hostage-taking, they have said.Īkram had arrived in the U.S. She was not involved in the Colleyville attack, her attorney said Saturday. That prisoner, Aafia Siddiqui, was found guilty of attempted murder and other charges in a 2008 assault on U.S. Investigators believe Akram was motivated by a desire to see the release of a convicted terrorist who is serving an 86-year federal prison sentence in Fort Worth, Texas, they've said. The FBI is investigating Saturday's incident as "a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted," the agency has said. And while the majority of anti-Semitic incidents involve harassment and vandalism, assaults have also happened, with at least six turning deadly since 2016, including at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in 2018. Attacks on Jewish people have been on the rise, the Anti-Defamation League warns. The incident once again has put Jewish communities across the United States on edge.
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One hostage was released unharmed the other three escaped and an FBI team killed Akram. authorities say Akram, 44, entered Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, and produced a weapon during its Sabbath service on Saturday morning, kicking off an 11-hour standoff with local, state and federal authorities. The investigation against Malik Faisal Akram was closed when investigators considered him to no longer be a threat, the official said.ĭetails about what led to that U.K. security services and had been the subject of a brief investigation in 2020, a U.K. Witnesses claim he referred to her as his sister, but John Floyd, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Siddiqui's brother was not involved.The British national killed by the FBI after taking four people hostage at a Texas synagogue Saturday was known to U.K. The first part of the siege was captured on a Facebook Livestream of the morning sabbath prayers at the synagogue. On it, the hostage-taker was heard demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui and said he wanted to speak to her. The rabbi held hostage in the attack, Charlie Cytron-Walker, said Akram became 'increasingly belligerent and threatening' during the standoff. One was freed after six hours before an FBI SWAT team entered the building at around 9 pm, shot the attacker dead, and released the other three unharmed. "We would also like to add that any attack on any human being be it a Jew, Christian or Muslim, etc is wrong and should always be condemned."Īkram took four people hostage, including a rabbi, inside the synagogue in Colleyville at around 11 am local time on Saturday. Gulbar said: "We would like to say that we as a family do not condone any of his actions and would like to sincerely apologise wholeheartedly to all the victims involved in the unfortunate incident. In a statement, the brother said family members in Britain spent hours 'liaising with Faisal' during the siege over the weekend, and that although he was 'suffering from mental health issues we were confident that he would not harm the hostages'. We stand with the US in defending the rights and freedoms of our citizens against those who spread hate," she said.Īccording to reports from the US, Akram arrived in the country via New York's JFK International Airport two weeks ago.Īkram's brother Gulbar confirmed his death in a statement carried on social media and also apologised to the victims, saying his brother had been suffering from mental health issues. "We condemn this act of terrorism and anti-Semitism. "My thoughts are with the Jewish community and all those affected by the appalling act in Texas," UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Twitter. US President Joe Biden called the hostage-taking an "act of terror", with the UK condemning the attack soon after. Scotland Yard also confirmed counter-terror officers were liaising with US authorities and the FBI. The teenagers detained in south Manchester on Sunday evening in connection with the investigation cannot be named for legal reasons, but the force said they 'remain in custody for questioning'. Police forces in the region will continue to liaise with their local communities, including the Jewish community, and will put in place any necessary measures to provide reassurance to them," he said. "I can also confirm that Counter Terror Policing North West is assisting with the investigation being led by the US authorities.