Two men have been arrested in the UK in connection to the Texas synagogue hostage standoff, Greater Manchester Police announced Thursday.
The men, who were arrested separately in the cities of Manchester and Birmingham, remained in custody for questioning as British investigators continue to assist the FBI with their probe into the incident, the department said.
It’s not immediately clear what connection the two men may have had to the hostage incident. The Greater Manchester Police said only that “[Counter Terrorism Policing] North West Officers continue to liaise with and support colleagues from other forces.”
On Saturday, British national Malik Faisal Akram took four houstages at the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas and held them at gunpoint in a standoff that lasted 11-hours.
Akram, 44, demanded the immediate release of convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, whose serving out an 86-year sentence for attempting to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.
All of the hostages were safely rescued and Akram was killed by police.
Earlier this week, British authorities revealed Akram had previously been under investigation by UK intelligence agencies in 2020 but the probe was closed when they found he didn’t present an immediate threat.
Akram traveled to the US on Dec. 29 and first landed at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens before flying to Texas two days later.
