Texas's Governor tweets that all hostages are safe after a stand-off inside a Dallas-area synagogue.
Texas's Governor has tweeted that all hostages are safe after a stand-off inside a Dallas-area synagogue.The hostage-taker was heard demanding the release a Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of terrorism linksA man had taken hostages during Saturday services at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue where he was heard ranting in a livestream and demanding the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist who was convicted of trying to kill US army officers in Afghanistan.
Governor Greg Abbott's tweet came not long after a loud bang and what sounded like gunfire was heard coming from the synagogue."Prayers answered. All hostages are out alive and safe," Mr Abbott tweeted.At least four hostages, including the rabbi, were initially believed to be inside the synagogue, according to three law enforcement officials who were not authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation. One of the officials said the man claimed to be armed but authorities had not confirmed whether he was. The Colleyville Police Department said one hostage was released uninjured shortly after 5pm on Saturday, local time.Authorities were still trying to discern a precise motive for the attack. The hostage-taker was heard demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having ties to al-Qaida, the officials said. Authorities said a man took hostages on Saturday during services at the synagogue where the suspect could be heard demanding the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist.Siddiqui is in federal prison in Texas. The officials said investigators have not positively identified the man and cautioned that the information was based on a preliminary investigation as the situation was still rapidly developing. A rabbi in New York City received a call from the rabbi believed to be held hostage in the synagogue to demand Siddiqui's release, a law enforcement official said.Police were first called to the synagogue around 11am and people were evacuated from the surrounding neighbourhood soon after that, FBI Dallas spokesperson Katie Chaumont said."It's an evolving situation, and we have a lot of law enforcement personnel on scene," Chaumont said at the time.Aafia Siddiqui is a Pakistani woman who is imprisoned on charges of trying to kill American service members in Afghanistan. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that an angry man could be heard ranting and talking about religion at times during the livestream, which didn't show what was happening inside the synagogue.Moments later, the feed cut out. A Meta company spokesperson later confirmed that Facebook removed the video. Multiple people heard the hostage-taker refer to Siddiqui as his "sister" on the livestream, but Faizan Syed, the executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations in Dallas Fort-Worth Texas, told The Associated Press that Siddiqui's brother, Mohammad Siddiqui, was not involved.Texas resident Victoria Francis told the AP that she watched about an hour of the livestream before it cut out."He was just all over the map," Ms Francis said. "He was pretty irritated and the more irritated he got, he'd make more threats, like 'I'm the guy with the bomb. If you make a mistake, this is all on you.' And he'd laugh at that"She said it sounded like the man was talking to the police department on the phone, with the rabbi and another person trying to help with the negotiations. Anna Salton Eisen, a founder and former president of the synagogue, said the congregation has about 140 members and the rabbi had worked hard to build interfaith relationships in the community. "This is unlike anything we've ever experienced. You know, it's a small town and it's a small congregation," Ms Eisen said. "No matter how it turns out, it's hard to fathom how we will all be changed by this, because surely we will be." White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted on Saturday evening that President Joe Biden had been briefed and was receiving updates from senior officials.Siddiqui earned advanced degrees from Brandeis University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before she was sentenced in 2010 to 86 years in prison on charges that she assaulted and shot at US army officers after being detained in Afghanistan two years earlier. Protests have been held in Pakistan for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who is federal prison for having links to al-Qaida. The punishment sparked outrage in Pakistan among political leaders and her supporters, who viewed her as victimised by the American criminal justice system. In the years since, Pakistan officials have expressed interest publicly in any sort of deal or swap that could result in her release from US custody, and her case has continued to draw attention from supporters. In 2018, for instance, an Ohio man who prosecutors say planned to fly to Texas and attack the prison where Siddiqui is being held in an attempt to free her, was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
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