London: Four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community emergency service were set ablaze in the Golders Green area of north London. Police are treating the incident as an antisemitic hate crime, according to local media reports.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police were called to Highfield Road at around 1.45 a.m. on Monday (local time) following reports of a fire. Authorities later confirmed that the incident is being investigated as a targeted hate crime, according to The Guardian.
The London Fire Brigade said six fire engines and nearly 40 firefighters were deployed to contain the blaze, which caused damage to four vehicles.
Officials added that several cylinders inside the ambulances exploded during the fire, leading to shattered windows in a nearby residential building. No injuries were reported in the initial response.
Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who oversees policing in the area, said, “We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern, and officers remain on scene to carry out urgent inquiries.”
“We are in the process of examining CCTV and are aware of online footage. We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage,” Jackson was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
“There have been no arrests yet, and we would urge anyone with information to please contact us as soon as possible; you can do so anonymously if you wish,” she added.
Jackson further noted that police would be increasing their presence in the area.
“We will be engaging with faith leaders and carrying out additional patrols in the local area as we continue our investigation to provide reassurance and a highly visible presence,” she said.
The local neighbourhood watch group, Shomrim, said it was aware of loud explosions heard early Monday morning.
“The explosions were caused by oxygen tanks, not a bomb or explosive device. Although some buildings have been evacuated, no casualties have been reported. Please avoid the area while investigations continue,” the organisation said.
Local councillor Dean Cohen, who visited the site, said the incident has deeply unsettled residents.
He told Jewish News that the attack occurring in the “car park of a synagogue is particularly chilling and will send shock waves through our community at a time of already heightened fears over antisemitism in the UK”.
The incident comes amid heightened global tensions following the ongoing West Asia conflict that escalated after February 28 strikes on Tehran by the United States and Israel, which resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Against this backdrop, London has also witnessed large-scale protests. On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets, joining a broader wave of protests across Europe opposing US and Israeli military actions against Iran.
In the British capital, a sea of demonstrators marched from Russell Square to Whitehall on Saturday, waving banners and chanting slogans condemning the attacks. Their voices echoed through central London as concerns over the escalating conflict spilt onto the streets.
At a rally later in the day, participants called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to foreign intervention in the Middle East. Mariam, a protester holding a sign reading “Stop the war on Iran,” criticised Washington’s characterisation of the operation as “Epic Fury,” calling it instead an “Epic Failure.”
“No foreign intervention. Hands off the Middle East and stop bombing. People have the right to live in peace. You cannot bomb people to democracy,” she said.
Another protester, Adrian, who had travelled from Birmingham, described the strikes on Iran as “completely outrageous” and “quite frankly exhausting.” He warned that the consequences, including rising oil prices and global insecurity, were already being felt.
(IANS)
