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British police arrest 2 in investigation into Texas standoff

Texas Synagogue Standoff arrests
Posted at 6:37 PM, Jan 16, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-17 10:22:43-05

Police in Britain have arrested two teenagers allegedly connected to Saturday's hostage-taking at a Texas synagogue.

The Greater Manchester Police did not name the suspects Sunday or whether they faced any charges. They described them as teenagers who were in custody for questioning.

The hostage-taker, a British citizen identified as a 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, was killed by SWAT team members after holding four people hostage at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville.

The suspect demanded the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist who was convicted of killing U.S. Army officers in Afghanistan.

The FBI said Sunday that there's no immediate indication the man had connections to any broader plan but that the agency's investigation "will have global reach."

The synagogue says it will hold a service Monday night "to help all of us to begin to put this terrible event behind us and be thankful for a good result." The service, which begins at 7 p.m. local time, will be livestreamed on the congregation's Facebook page.

"We are strong. We are resilient. The time to heal our community has begun," the synagogue said.