A seventeen-year-old youth pleaded guilty to an arson attack on a synagogue in London on Tuesday before a British court. However, he claims that he does not have a hostile attitude towards the Jewish community and did not know that it was a synagogue. TASR writes about it according to the AP agency.
- A seventeen-year-old youth confessed to the arson attack on a London synagogue.
- The perpetrators threw a Molotov cocktail through the window of a synagogue in London’s Harrow.
- No one was injured, although the attack caused smoke inside the synagogue.
- British police are investigating the Iranian background of a series of at least six arson attacks.
- The Islamic group HAYI, with ties to Iran, has claimed responsibility for several attacks.
The attack was one of several incidents targeting the Jewish community in Britain in recent weeks. It took place late Saturday night when the perpetrators threw a Molotov cocktail through the window of a synagogue in Harrow, northwest London. The fire caused smoke in the interior, but no one was injured.
In a written statement, the young man said he was not aware it was a synagogue and had no intention of harming anyone. “I have no hatred towards the Jewish community. I deeply regret my actions,” wrote.
The court released him on bail and ordered him to appear at Willesden Juvenile Court on June 4. The police also detained a 19-year-old man in connection with the incident, who was subsequently released, and are looking for two more suspects.
In Britain, there have been several arson attacks on synagogues and other targets associated with the Jewish community since March 23. That day, four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were set on fire in Golders Green, London. No injuries were reported in either incident.
Police are investigating whether Iran is behind a series of at least six attacks in the framework of a hybrid war conducted through intermediaries in the context of the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
The Islamist group Harakat Ashab al-Jamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) with ties to Iran claimed responsibility for many of the attacks. it follows from the data of the monitoring organization SITE Intelligence Group. HAYI previously claimed similar attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
