Authorities in the small town of Colleville, Texas, USA, announced on Saturday that a man who took several hostages during a mass at a state synagogue is still trying to free the kidnapped.
The Colville Police Department revealed via Twitter that it is conducting a special rescue operation at the address of the Beth Israel Complex, northeast of Fort Worth, a few miles from Dallas.
At least four hostages are believed to be inside the synagogue, according to two police sources who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It is believed that the rabbi of the synagogue was among the hostages, according to one of the officials.
Authorities are still trying to understand the motive behind the attack. The hijacker has been heard calling for the release of Afia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist with suspected al-Qaeda links who was convicted of trying to kill US military officers while in custody in Afghanistan, revealed one of the sources consulted by the AP. .
My friend finds himself in a federal prison in Texas.
The identity of the kidnapper was not identified, according to the same sources, who warned that the information they provided was based on a preliminary investigation and that the situation was developing rapidly.
FBI spokeswoman Katie Chaumont said in Dallas that an FBI special operations team is on site and negotiators are communicating with someone inside the synagogue.
Shomon could not determine if the hijacker was armed and refused to describe what he had asked the FBI about, claiming that the matter was practically sensitive.
Police were called to the synagogue around 11 a.m. (17 p.m. in Portugal) and residents of the surrounding neighborhood were evacuated shortly thereafter, according to Chaumont.
The official said there were no reports of injuries. “It’s an evolving situation, and we’ve got a lot of people on site,” Chaumont said.
Police closed access to the roads around the synagogue on Saturday afternoon.
Colville has a population of about 26,000 people, about 23 kilometers northeast of Fort Worth, Texas.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced via Twitter that President Joe Biden has been informed of the situation and is receiving updates from senior officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also announced on the same social network that he is closely monitoring the situation. “We pray for the safety of the hostages and the paramedics,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Israeli consul general in Houston is on his way to the scene, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, in a statement adding that Israeli officials are “in close contact with US law enforcement agencies.”
