London police arrest 2 men in connection with suspected antisemitic arson attack

By Jack Guy, CNN

(CNN) — British police have arrested two men following a suspected antisemitic arson attack in which several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer rescue organization were set on fire in north London.

The pair, British nationals aged 47 and 45, were arrested at two separate addresses in the capital on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement Wednesday.

They remain in custody at a London police station and officers are searching the two properties, adds the statement.

The incident took place early Monday morning local time outside a synagogue in a neighborhood home to London’s largest Jewish community.

Flames lit up the night sky and residents of the northern suburb of Golders Green were woken by loud explosions, as dozens of firefighters rushed to the area.

Golders Green is home to many synagogues, schools and kosher restaurants and is known for its large Jewish and Orthodox Jewish community.

On Monday, police said the attack was being treated as an “antisemitic hate crime” and announced that counter-terrorism police were leading the investigation into the attack even though it had not yet been deemed a terrorist incident.

The investigation into the attack is ongoing, with CCTV footage of the incident suggesting that there were at least three people involved, police said Wednesday.

“We fully recognise the local community will still be concerned and our investigation very much remains active and we will continue to work to identify and seek to arrest all of those who may have been involved,” said Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter terrorism policing London, in the statement.

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CNN’s Laila Shahrokhshahi, Clare Sebastian, Lianne Kolirin, Laura Sharman and Lex Harvey contributed to this report.