Hostage-taker at Texas synagogue reportedly demanded release of al Qaeda-linked prisoner

At least four people, including a rabbi, were being held hostage Saturday evening at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, CNN reported.

The hostage-taker demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist linked to al Qaeda who was convicted of attempting to kill U.S. service-members in Afghanistan and is serving an 86-year sentence in a Texas prison. An FBI SWAT team was on the scene.

According to FBI representative Katie Chaumont, police were called to the synagogue at around 11 a.m., The Associated Press reports. Services were being livestreamed at the time, and the hostage-taker could be heard ranting about America and Islam. He also referred to himself as "the guy with the bomb" before the feed cut out. Authorities have evacuated the surrounding area.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed on Twitter that President Biden was briefed on the situation, and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted that he is "pray[ing] for the safety of the hostages and rescuers."