“All hostages are safe and sound,” the Texas governor wrote.
In the United States on the evening of Saturday, January 15, all hostages captured during worship at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, were released.
It is reported by ABC News.
“All hostages are safe and sound,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on his Twitter microblog around 9:30 p.m. local time. Abbott's tweet came shortly after a loud explosion and gunshot-like sounds were heard from the synagogue.
The suspect is dead, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The details of the deal are not yet known. Keep for updates.
Recall that an unknown person took hostage the rabbi and three visitors to the synagogue in Collyville during the morning service on Saturday. The man said he had bombs. Officials could not verify this information, so they acted as if the intruder was armed.
Negotiations with the suspect were conducted, in particular, by the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Residents of the area were evacuated.
After 17:00 local time, one of the hostages left the synagogue. He did not need medical attention and was soon reunited with his family.
The attacker, for his part, said he was demanding the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui, who was convicted of attempting to assassinate US military while in custody in Afghanistan. The woman was suspected of having links with the al-Qaeda terrorist organization.
He also wanted to speak to Siddiqui, who is serving time in a Texas federal prison, officials said.
US President Joe Biden was informed about the incident. The White House said they were closely monitoring the situation. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Benet also reacted to the event, tweeting: “We pray for the safety of the hostages and rescuers.”
Following the attack, a number of American cities, including New York and Los Angeles, announced increased patrols of synagogues and other places associated with the Jewish community.
A Pakistani neuroscientist with degrees from Brandeis University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aafia Siddiqui, was sentenced in 2010 to 86 years in prison on charges of assaulting and shooting at US Army officers after being detained in Afghanistan.
The punishment caused outrage in Pakistan among political leaders and supporters of Siddiqui, who considered her a victim of the American criminal justice system.
Since then, Pakistani officials have publicly expressed interest in any deal or exchange that could result in Siddiqui's release from US custody, and the case also continues to attract the attention of her supporters.
In 2018, for example, an Ohio man who prosecutors said planned to fly to Texas and attack the prison to free Siddiqui was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
