Two suspects are in custody after an attempted arson attack on a shul in north London, as British counter-terrorism officials intensify an investigation into what authorities fear may be part of a broader, coordinated campaign targeting Jewish sites — with possible links to Iran.
Police said a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were arrested overnight following the early Sunday incident at the Kenton United Synagogue, an Orthodox shul. The fire caused minor smoke damage to an interior room, but no injuries were reported.
The attack was the latest in a string of arson-related attacks in recent weeks across London. Just days earlier, an attempt was made to set fire to a Jewish-linked business. Earlier in the week, two additional suspects were arrested in connection with another attempted synagogue arson.
The escalation has been building. Last month, multiple ambulances belonging to Hatzola were deliberately set ablaze in the Golders Green neighborhood, a hub of London’s Jewish population. Over the weekend, police also cordoned off an area near the Israeli Embassy London after reports that drones carrying “dangerous substances” had targeted the site. Authorities later said the recovered items posed no actual threat.
Behind the scenes, counter-terrorism officers are examining whether these incidents are connected, and whether foreign actors may be exploiting local operatives to carry them out. British security officials have repeatedly warned in recent years that Iran has attempted to orchestrate hostile activity on UK soil through criminal proxies.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
