LONDON – British police have named a man arrested in connection with a stabbing attack that injured two Jewish men in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London on Wednesday.
The man has been identified as Essa Suleiman, 45, a British citizen of Somali origin. Police say the attack is being treated as a terrorist attack with the intention of killing Jews.
Officials say Essa Suleiman was previously on the terror watch list in 2020 and has a history of violence and mental illness. Police arrested him at the scene of the attack, where he suffered minor injuries when he resisted. The man came to the UK as a young man in the 1990s and became a naturalized citizen.
The two men, aged 76 and 34, were taken to hospital and are said to be in a stable condition.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Golders Green to meet with emergency services and residents. He strongly condemned the attack on the two Jewish men, vowing that his country would not be a place where minorities were targeted.
The British government said it would increase security in the Jewish community and spend £25 million on extra police patrols in areas where Jews gather. It also said new laws would be introduced to combat extremist groups. The investigation into the case is ongoing.
