LONDON — Counterterrorism investigators in Britain are examining an attempted fire attack in London that targeted a building with ties to the Jewish community, marking the latest in a series of similar incidents across the capital.
Authorities announced Saturday they are not yet connecting this incident to other recent attacks on Jewish charity vehicles and an Iranian media outlet.
The Metropolitan Police stated that while investigators are not classifying these events as terrorism, Counter Terrorism Policing London has taken charge of the probe “due to the similarities of each attack.”
According to police reports, a suspect was observed Friday evening placing a bag with three bottles of liquid outside a structure that had previously served the Jewish community. The individual tried to ignite the materials, but the attempt was unsuccessful before he escaped the scene. Authorities have not made any arrests.
The Friday evening incident occurred in Hendon, located near Golders Green, where four vehicles belonging to a Jewish charity were set ablaze on March 23. Four individuals face charges in connection with that attack.
Investigators are also examining an attempted arson at a synagogue in northwest London on Wednesday. That same day, authorities report an “ignited container” was hurled into the offices of a Persian media company in Wembley, another northwest London neighborhood. Two adult men and one teenage boy have been charged with arson in that case.
Fortunately, no injuries have occurred in any of these incidents.
Investigators are exploring whether these attacks may be connected to Iran. British officials have accused Iran of employing criminal networks to carry out attacks across Europe, specifically targeting opposition media organizations and Jewish communities. Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence agency reports disrupting more than 20 “potentially lethal” plots backed by Iran in the year leading up to October.
