A Texas synagogue hostage incident led to the arrest of two men in England
- Capitol Times
- Jan 20, 2022
- 1 min read
Two men have been arrested in Birmingham and Manchester by UK police in connection with the investigation into Pakistan-born British terrorist Malik Faisal Akram's hostage-taking incident at a synagogue in Texas.
On Jan 15, FBI officers entered Congregation Beth Israel synagogue after a 10-hour standoff in Colleyville, Texas, and shot Akram, 44, dead. He lived in Blackburn in Lancashire.
Greater Manchester Police said this newest development on Jan 20: "Officers from the Counter-Terror Policing North West unit continue to provide support to U.S. authorities investigating the events in Texas.
This morning, two men were arrested in Birmingham and Manchester as a result of the ongoing investigation. Both remain in custody to be questioned, the police said.
Counter-terrorism officials said on Jan. 18 that two teenagers arrested following the incident in south Manchester, who are reportedly relatives of Akram, were released without charge.
According to UK media reports, Akram, a British national, was on the MI5 watch list, which entails monitoring potential terrorist threats by the UK's security services. According to MI5, the investigation was shut down when officials determined he was not a threat.
20 Jan 2022
