New Delhi: All people held hostage inside a synagogue in Texas were released safe and alive after hours of standoff between the armed person who held them hostage and the negotiators. Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that “all hostages are out alive and safe.”
An armed man had taken several people hostage at a Texas synagogue where he was apparently demanding release of a convicted terrorist. While the details were still unclear, AFP quoted reports citing that the synagogue’s rabbi and two others were held hostage.
The Colleyville Police Department in the Texas state received a call for service at around 10:41 am (local time) and were alerted about an emergency situation at the Congregation Beth Israel, with reports circulating quickly that it was a hostage situation
The hostage negotiators were locked in a standoff with the armed man and after eight hours were able to free one of the hostages “uninjured,” while an unconfirmed number of hostages were still in the synagogue. “This man will be reunited with his family as soon as possible and he does not require medical attention,” said a police statement, reports AFP.
The ABC News reports that the armed man had claimed to have planted bombs in unknown locations.
The armed man was demanding the release of a former Pakistani scientist Aafia Siddiqui. She was sentenced 86 years of prison in 2010 by a New York Court for the attempted murder of US officers in Afghanistan. The high-profile case had sparked outrage in Pakistan.
Siddiqui is currently being held at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) prison in Texas.
Colleyville police in a tweet at 11:30 am (local time) said that it was “conducting SWAT operations” at the address of the Congregation Beth Israel.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that the US President Joe Biden has been briefed “on the developing hostage situation.” The incident has sparked an outpouring of concerns from Jewish organisations around the US and the Israeli government as well.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Benett said that Israel was “closely monitoring” the hostage situation. “We pray for the safety of the hostages and rescuers,” tweeted Benett.
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