The agency is now expected to review the investigation.
London:
British security agencies recently investigated the man behind a hostage-taking at a synagogue in Texas but assumed he did not pose a threat, media reports said on Tuesday. .
US authorities identified the captor as British citizen Malik Faisal Akram, 44, who was shot dead during a 10-hour siege in the small town of Colleyville on Saturday.
Britain’s domestic intelligence agency MI5 received information about Akram, who hails from Blackburn in North West England, in 2020, prompting an investigation, several news outlets said, citing key sources anonymous government.
But it was closed again after more than a month due to a lack of evidence that he was a threat, the report added. The agency is now expected to review the investigation.
MI5 tracks about 3,000 jihadist suspects at any one time and has investigated a total of 40,000 individuals.
The four hostages – including a respected local rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker – were all freed Saturday night unharmed, prompting relief in the United States, where the community Council and Biden continue to call against anti-Semitism.
Biden declined to speculate on motives but appeared to confirm reports that the hostage-taker was seeking to release Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist known as “Lady Al-Qaeda” who was being held captive. hold is a cause for jihadists.
At one point, the truce involved 200 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers gathered around Colleyville.
The case raises questions about why Akram, whose family says he has mental health problems and is known to have a criminal record, was allowed to enter the country late last year.
Several British media outlets reported that Akram was banned by a local court in Blackburn because of remarks he made to staff about the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States on the day of the incident. attack.
Two teenagers were arrested on Sunday south of Manchester, about 21 miles (34 km) from Blackburn, as part of a US investigation.
Terrorism Prevention Policing North West said on Tuesday the pair had been released without charge and a property in the area had been searched.
“CTP North West is continuing to support the investigation led by US authorities,” said interim assistant police chief Dominic Sally.
“Overnight, constructive meetings with colleagues from the United States took place.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
