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Rescue teams in Colleyville: Loud explosion and gunfire in the synagogue
Photo: Smiley N. Pool/AP
The police ended the hostage-taking in a synagogue in the US state of Texas with a rescue operation.
All of the hostages in the small town of Colleyville near Dallas are "alive and safe," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Saturday (local time) on Twitter.
The first of the four hostages had already been released in advance.
According to the police, the hostage-taker, who apparently wanted to free a convicted terrorist, died during the operation.
The rescue operation in the synagogue began about ten hours after the hostage-taking began.
"The hostage rescue team stormed the synagogue," Colleyville Police Chief Michael Miller said at a news conference.
"The suspect died." Journalists reported a loud explosion and gunfire in the synagogue just before Abbott announced the release of the hostages.
Perpetrators threatened a bloodbath
According to information from the ABC News broadcaster, the hostage-taker took the rabbi and three other people into his power on Saturday morning (local time) in the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue.
The perpetrator was therefore armed and stated that he had planted bombs in several places.
According to information from the news channel CNN, specialists from the Federal Police FBI took over the negotiations with the hostage-taker.
US President Joe Biden was informed about the development of the situation.
According to ABC, the kidnapper demanded the release of his "sister," Pakistani scientist Aafia Siddiqui, who was sentenced to 86 years in prison by a New York court in 2010 on terror charges.
Some experts have suggested that her designation as "sister" meant figuratively a sister in the Islamic faith.
»Lady Qaeda«
Siddiqui had been convicted of attempted assassination by US forces in Afghanistan.
US tabloid media gave her the nickname "Lady Qaeda" in reference to the terrorist network Al-Qaeda.
The case had caused outrage in Pakistan.
Siddiqui is incarcerated in Texas.
The Texas hostage crisis also raised concerns among the Israeli government.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations also condemned the attack and offered "any help" to the Jewish community in Colleyville.
mike/AFP
