Two men have been arrested in connection with an arson attack that destroyed ambulances serving a north London Jewish community, police said. Counterterrorism officers from the Metropolitan Police detained a 47-year-old and a 45-year-old at separate addresses in London; both remain in custody as inquiries continue.
CCTV suggests at least three people were involved. Shortly after midnight on Monday, four Hatzola ambulances — part of the volunteer emergency service in Golders Green — were set alight. Gas canisters inside the vehicles exploded, forcing nearby residents from their homes. Witnesses said the blasts shattered windows, including at a nearby synagogue.
British security services have in recent years accused Iran of using criminal proxies in Europe to target dissidents and Jewish communities. MI5 said it disrupted more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-linked plots in the year to October.
Police are also investigating an online claim of responsibility by a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right). Israeli officials have described that group as newly formed with suspected ties to pro-Iran networks and say it has claimed attacks on synagogues in Belgium and the Netherlands. Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley said it is too early to link the incident to the Iranian state.
Counterterrorism teams urged anyone with information to come forward and thanked local residents and the Jewish community for their cooperation. A senior officer said community concerns remain heightened and that an increased police presence will continue across London as a precautionary measure.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery