Three more people were arrested in connection with the arson attack on four volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organisation in London.
Two British men, aged 19 and 20, and a 17-year-old British-Pakistani dual national were arrested at separate addresses in east London, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. They were detained on suspicion of “conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life,” the force added.
The ambulances were parked next to a synagogue in the Golders Green area of northwest London, which has a large Jewish population, when they were set alight. The ambulances were run by the Hatzola volunteer organisation, which provides free medical transportation and emergency response to those living in north London.
Nobody was physically hurt, but the police said they are treating the incident as “an antisemitic hate crime.” While it has not been declared a terror offence, counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation.
A little-known Islamist group with possible links to Iran has claimed responsibility. The Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) group (‘The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand’), has claimed responsibility for similar attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
