London police probe arson attack on building tied to Jewish organization
UK counter-terror police were on Saturday investigating an arson attack on a London building that was formerly used by a Jewish organization, following similar incidents in recent weeks.
No one was injured in the fire late Friday in Hendon, in the northwest of Britain’s capital, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement, without specifying the premises targeted.
Officers stood guard outside an empty office that still contained the sign Jewish Futures, an educational organization, an AFP photographer saw.
“We are aware of what appears to be another attempted arson, this time targeting a premises in north London previously used by the Jewish community,” the Community Security Trust charity, which provides safety advice to Jewish groups, said in a statement.
“It caused minimal damage to a nearby doorway and no injuries.”
The incident comes after police arrested two people over a separate arson attack on a synagogue in nearby Finchley on Wednesday, amid an upsurge in antisemitic incidents in Britain.
In late March, four Jewish community ambulances were torched in Golders Green, also in north London.
“At this stage, last night’s arson is not being linked to other incidents in the north-west London area over the last week or last month’s arson in Golders Green, but counter-terrorism officers are leading due to the similarities of each attack,” Helen Flanagan of the Met’s counter terrorism unit said in a statement.
Police were called to the scene shortly after 10:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) on Friday after a man was spotted approaching a row of shops carrying a plastic bag later found to contain three bottles with “fluid,” the Met said.
He placed the bag by a building before lighting the items inside, it added.
When they failed to fully ignite, the man fled the scene. The shopfront sustained minor damage and no arrests have been made, the force added.
On Wednesday evening, a burning object was thrown toward the offices of Persian media outlet Iran International, which is heavily critical of Iran’s clerical leadership.
It landed in a car park, and no one was injured.
Little-known group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), with links to Iran, claimed responsibility for that and the attacks on the synagogue and ambulances, according to SITE Intelligence Group.
The group previously claimed similar attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
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