British police last night (Sunday) arrested two people allegedly linked to an attack that took place over the weekend in Texas, during which a British citizen named Malik Faisal Akram broke into the Beit Yisrael synagogue in the city of Cullivil and held four people hostage.
The arrests took place last night in Manchester by British special forces, local police announced this morning.
"Two young men have been arrested tonight in south Manchester and they remain in custody," police added in an official statement.
#UPDATE |
Counter Terrorism Policing North West update following the events in Texas: pic.twitter.com/Q3o08bc8Js
- Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) January 16, 2022
On Saturday, a man with British citizenship and allegedly unarmed, whose name has not yet been released, entered the synagogue in the city of Colleyville in the morning during prayers, while the incident was recorded live via the venue's streaming service. Negotiations with the security forces who arrived at the compound and included YMCA teams, local police officers, and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in a number that reached about 300 people.
Sources involved in the investigation told the Associated Press anonymously that the gunman had sought the release of Afia Sidiki, a Pakistani neurologist who is imprisoned in Texas on suspicion of having links to the al-Qaeda terrorist organization.
Hours of negotiations ended with the Bureau of Detective agents breaking into the synagogue and the kidnapper's death.
Also, it is not yet known whether he was killed by the agents' fire or by suicide.
None of the hostages were injured in the incident.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us
