The suspect, shot dead while rescuing hostages, turned out to be a British citizen.
In the UK, two teenagers have been detained as part of an investigation into a hostage-taking incident at a synagogue in the US state of Texas.
It is reported by the BBC.
It is noted that the detention took place in Manchester on the evening of Sunday, January 16. The juveniles are “detained for questioning”. At the same time, law enforcement officers do not disclose details on the age and gender of the suspects.
Greater Manchester Police said they are in contact with the local community and continue to assist with the US investigation.
Recall that the suspect who took four hostages in a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas and shot dead by American special forces, was 44-year-old British citizen Malik Faisal Akram.
According to the publication, the Briton arrived in the country through John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York two weeks ago. He spent at least one night in a homeless shelter.
The suspect's brother Gulbar confirmed his death in a statement posted on the Blackburn Muslim Community Facebook page. He apologized to the victims and said that Akram had mental health problems.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden called the seizure of the synagogue “an act of terrorism.” The American leader noted that Akram had a gun that he allegedly bought on the street, but investigators did not find evidence that he had explosives.
Recall that an unknown person took hostage the rabbi and three visitors to the Colleyville synagogue during the morning service on Saturday, January 15, at about 10:40 am local time. The man said he planted several bombs in the synagogue.
Negotiations with the suspect for about ten hours 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. However, the rescue group subsequently made a “weighted decision” to break into the synagogue in order to free the hostages and eliminate the criminal.
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.
