Malik Faisal Akram from Blackburn was killed by police after taking four hostages in a synagogue
, a 44-year-old from Blackburn, was killed after a tense 11-hour hostage standoff at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in the Dallas suburb of Colleyville on Saturday evening. All four hostages survived the siege and were unharmed.and the British foreign secretary, Liz Truss, said the UK government condemned “this act of terrorism and antisemitism”.
The Guardian understands that Akram had a criminal record in the UK but no known terrorism convictions. Investigators in the UK believe that Akram had no connection to Texas and travelled there earlier this month. Officers at MI5, the British Security Service, were on Monday examining their records to see if he had ever been known to them.
A community source in Blackburn said Akram was known to behave unusually, including in and around mosques in the Lancashire town. MP Kate Hollern said the Akram’s actions were “not a reflection of Blackburn or any religious community”. The head of the local council, Mohammed Khan, said Blackburn and Darwen would be assisting with the investigation. “In Blackburn we firmly stand by the belief that no community should live in fear for its safety as they go about practising their religious beliefs or identity. We stand in solidarity in condemning this act of hate, violence and terror.
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