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Two teenagers in the UK were reportedly arrested Sunday night as part of an investigation into the harrowing hostage-taking of a rabbi and three congregants at a Texas synagogue.
The teens were taken into custody by England’s Greater Manchester Police and were being questioned by investigators, the Independent reported.
It wasn’t immediately clear what connection the pair had to Saturday’s frightening ordeal during a Shabbat morning service at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville.
British national Malik Faisal Akram, 44, held the victims captive while demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist with suspected ties to al Qaeda currently locked up at a federal prison in Texas, authorities said.
The tense standoff lasted for about 10 hours, part of which was captured on a Facebook live stream of the services. Akram was fatally shot by an FBI team after all four hostages were safely released from the synagogue.
President Joe Biden declared the hostage situation an “act of terror,” but said that authorities “just don’t have enough facts” to determine why Akram targeted the synagogue.
The president said he spoke to US Attorney General Merrick Garland about the incident.
“We are focused. The Attorney General is focused. I’m making sure that we deal with these kinds of acts,” Biden said.
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