Texas synagogue siege: Teens held in UK released without charge

Two teenagers arrested in England as part of the investigation into a hostage-taking at a synagogue in Texas have been released without charge, police say.

British citizen Malik Faisal Akram, 44, was shot dead after a standoff with police on Saturday.

Details of the ages and genders of the teenagers were not released.

They were arrested in south Manchester on Sunday evening.

Greater Manchester Police said officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West had been "in constant contact with US authorities" to help with their investigation.

An address in north Manchester has been searched as part of their enquiries, the police force said.

It has emerged Akram, from Blackburn, Lancashire, was investigated by MI5 but by the time he flew to the US two weeks ago, he was assessed as no longer being a risk.

He had been on the British security service's watchlist as a "subject of interest" in 2020 and was investigated in the second half of that year.

But by 2021 Akram, who had a criminal record in the UK, had moved from the active list to the "former subject of interest" list and was no longer considered a threat.

The siege began at around 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Saturday, when police were called to the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue.

Akram gained initial access to the synagogue during the service by claiming to be a homeless man, according to a police source quoted by CBS.

One hostage was released after six hours, while the other three - including the synagogue's rabbi - escaped several hours later.

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-White told BBC partner CBS how he and two other hostages were able to get out "without a shot being fired" after he threw a chair at the hostage-taker.

During the standoff Akram was heard demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who is serving an 86-year prison sentence in nearby Fort Worth, Texas, over attempts to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan.

Siddiqui has distanced herself from his actions, issuing a statement through a lawyer.