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Officials have told the AP that the guerrillas are demanding the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist convicted of trying to kill U.S. soldiers in Aafia Siddiqui, Afghanistan.
U.S. officials say a man has been abducted in a Texas synagogue where he was heard in a live stream demanding the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist convicted of trying to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
The Colleyville Police Department said expanded The SWAT team evacuated Beth Israel congregation and its neighbors on Saturday.
Law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that at least four hostages were inside the synagogue. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss the ongoing investigation.
One official said he believed the rabbi in the synagogue was among the hostages.
Media release #Colleyville event. pic.twitter.com/pL0rzl6TYr
– Colleyville Police (@ColleyvillePD) January 15, 2022
Authorities are still trying to determine the exact motive for the attack.
Officials say they have heard calls for the release of guerrilla host Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having links to al-Qaeda, who was sentenced to 86 years in prison in 2010 on charges of assaulting and firing on U.S. military officers. Arrested in Afghanistan.
The punishment sparked outrage among Pakistani political leaders and supporters, who were hailed as victims of the U.S. criminal justice system. Siddiqui is in federal prison in Texas.
Officials said the guerrilla recipient also wanted to be able to talk to Siddiqui.
Officials said investigators did not identify the man and warned that the information was based on a preliminary investigation, as the situation is still developing rapidly.
ABC News, citing a well-informed official on the subject, said the kidnapper is saying he is Siddiqui’s brother. But the official said authorities have not yet confirmed his identity.
FBI Dallas spokeswoman Katie Chaumont said an FBI SWAT team was also present and that crisis negotiators were communicating with someone inside the synagogue. But he could not say whether the person was armed or refused to describe to the authorities what he had said, citing operational sensitivity.
Chaumont said police were first called to the synagogue around 11:00 a.m. (5:00 p.m. GMT) and people were evacuated from the surrounding neighborhood shortly after.
He was not injured.
“It’s an evolving situation, and we have a lot of law enforcement staff in place,” Chaumont said.
The services were being broadcast live on the synagogue’s Facebook page for some time. Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that an angry man could sometimes be heard talking about religion in a live session, which did not show what was going on inside the synagogue.
The man could be heard repeatedly saying that he did not want to see anyone hurt and that he believed he would die, the newspaper says.
Barry Klompus, a member of the congregation since it opened in 1999, said he tuned in live.
“It was awesome to hear and see, and it’s so much more horrible not to know,” Klompus said in a phone interview.
Although the man could not clearly understand what he wanted, Klompus believes that the man wanted to talk to his sister.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted on Saturday afternoon that President Joe Biden had announced it and was receiving updates from senior officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the situation was being closely monitored. “We pray for the safety of the hostages and rescuers,” he wrote on Twitter.
Union President for the Reform of Judaism, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, said on Twitter that the union was “very grateful to enforce the law that is working to free the guerrillas.”
The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish defense group, said it was aware, and the U.S. Muslim defense group CAIR condemned the man’s actions.
“This latest anti-Semitic attack on American Jews being worshiped in a synagogue is an act of pure evil,” CAIR said in a statement. “We have solidarity with the Jewish community, and we pray that the law enforcement authorities will be able to release the hostages quickly and safely. No reason can justify or forgive this crime.”
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