Colleyville: Hostages freed from synagogue in Texas – British police arrest two teenagers

In the US city of Colleyville, the police stormed a synagogue and freed the hostages. The trail of the kidnapper leads to Great Britain.

Update from Monday, January 17th, 2022, 6:55 a.m .: The British police arrested two young people in connection with the hostage-taking in a synagogue in Colleyville in the USA. The youths were arrested on Sunday evening in the south of the city of Manchester in northern England, said the anti-terrorist police. “You remain in custody for questioning,” Manchester Region Police said.

US federal police identified the kidnapper as a 44-year-old British citizen named Malik Faisal Akram. The FBI in Dallas said there is currently no evidence of other people involved in the crime. British police have confirmed the identity of the suspect, who is from Blackburn.

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USA: Hostages freed after storming the synagogue – perpetrators wanted to free terrorist suspects

Update from Sunday, January 16th, 2022, 6.45 a.m .: 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.

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Hostage-taking in the USA: Hostage-taker wanted to free Pakistani scientist

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 terrorism charges. Some experts have suggested that her designation as “sister” meant figuratively as a sister in the Islamic faith.

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 Al Qaeda terrorist network. The case had caused outrage in Pakistan. Siddiqui is incarcerated in Texas.

USA: Man takes hostages in synagogue – bomb threat for unknown locations

First report: Colleyville – According to media reports, an armed kidnapper is holding several people in a synagogue in the US state of Texas. A police officer told CNN that at least four people were believed to be hostages from the Beth Israel community in Colleyville.

Police are asking people to avoid the area around the Colleyville synagogue. Among other things, the FBI is in action. “The FBI negotiators are the ones who have contact with the person in the building,” a police spokeswoman said, according to CNN. There is currently no danger for people outside the place of worship.

Hostage-taking in a synagogue in the USA: Perpetrator threatens with bombs

The Colleyville Police Department tweeted: “We are currently conducting SWAT operations (…). All residents in the immediate area are being evacuated. Please avoid the area.” According to ABC News, the kidnapper allegedly planted bombs at unknown locations.

A US official told the broadcaster that the kidnapper said he was the brother of a convicted Pakistani terrorist. The suspect called for the sister’s release, the official said. However, the identity of the perpetrator has not yet been determined.

AFP news agency reports that during a live broadcast of the congregation’s morning prayers, a man’s voice was heard asking to call his sister. He was also heard saying, “I’m going to die,” and “There’s something wrong with America,” according to the agency. (tvd/ktho)

List of rubrics: © Brandon Wade/dpa