(Colleyville) Four hostages held in a synagogue in Colleyville, a town in Texas in the United States, were released safe and sound on the night of Saturday to Sunday, and their captor, who demanded the release of a Pakistani woman convicted of terrorism , died during the assault by the police.
Updated at 12:18 a.m.
“The hostage rescue team stormed the synagogue” and “the suspect is dead”, local police chief Michael Miller said during a press conference after a crisis which lasted nearly 10 hours.
All hostages have been released unharmed, Texas Governor Greg Abbott previously announced.
According to journalists present at the scene, a loud explosion and gunshots rang out in the synagogue just before Mr. Abbott’s announcement.
PHOTO SHELBY TAUBER, REUTERS
An armored truck was near the site if needed during the police intervention.
A few hours earlier, while tough negotiations were taking place between the police and the kidnapper, a first hostage had been released unharmed.
ABC News, citing a source on site, reported before the release of the first hostage that the suspect was armed, was holding four people including a rabbi, and claimed to have planted bombs at unknown locations.
The hostage-taking occurred at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, a town of about 23,000 people on the outskirts of Dallas.
” I will die ”
The voice of a man at times agitated could be heard on the broadcast of the religious service live on Facebook, consulted by AFP before its interruption.
“There is something wrong with America”, had notably launched this man.
“I’m going to die,” he also said, repeatedly asking an unidentified caller that “his sister” be on the phone.
The suspect, according to ABC News, claimed to be the ‘brother’ of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist sentenced in 2010 by a New York federal court to 86 years in prison for attempting to shoot US servicemen while in custody in Afghanistan. He was demanding his release, the channel reported, citing an official familiar with the matter on condition of anonymity.
PHOTO ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/FBI
Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist sentenced in 2010 to 86 years in prison for having tried to shoot American soldiers while she was detained in Afghanistan.
Aafia Siddiqui is currently being held in a prison-hospital in Fort Worth, near Dallas.
Experts, however, pointed out that the word used by the man in Arabic was figurative and meant “sister” in the Islamic faith.
Aafia Siddiqui “is absolutely not involved” in the hostage-taking, her lawyer also indicated in a statement to CNN. She confirmed that the man was not M’s brother.me Siddiqui, while ensuring that his client condemned these actions.
“Shocking and horrifying”
Colleyville police had evacuated nearby residents and asked the public to avoid the area.
PHOTO JESSIKA HARKAY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Colleyville police had evacuated nearby residents and asked the public to avoid the area.
The FBI, the American federal police, has opened an investigation into the kidnapper, who has been identified, said FBI special agent Matt DeSarno, without however revealing the name of the dead suspect.
This event deeply affected the Jewish community in the United States.
Ellen Smith, a synagogue worshiper, described to CNN the “shocking and horrifying” situation. However, she said she was not surprised that the attack targeted the Jewish community.
“Cases of anti-Semitism have increased lately,” she said. You almost feel hopeless. »
“No one should be afraid to gather in their place of prayer,” said the Council for Jewish Community Relations, an organization based in San Francisco.
“He who hates me today will hate you tomorrow. So it may start with the Jews, but it won’t stop with the Jews,” warned Joseph Potasnik, vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also said he was monitoring the situation.