LONDON, United Kingdom — British police have arrested two men in connection with a suspected antisemitic arson attack that destroyed several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer emergency service in north London.
The Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, that the suspects, British nationals aged 47 and 45, were detained at separate addresses across the capital on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
Both men remain in custody at a London police station while officers continue to search the properties.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday outside a synagogue in Golders Green, an area known for having one of the largest Jewish communities in the city.
Fire and Emergency Response
Residents reported being awakened by explosions as flames illuminated the night sky. Emergency services responded with dozens of firefighters dispatched to the scene.
Several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer rescue organisation were set alight in the attack.
Golders Green is home to numerous synagogues, schools and kosher businesses and has long been associated with London’s Orthodox Jewish population.
Investigation and Security Concerns
Police said earlier in the week that the attack was being treated as an antisemitic hate crime.
Counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation, although authorities have not formally classified the incident as terrorism.
Investigators reviewing CCTV footage believe that at least three individuals may have been involved in the attack.
“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 a statement.
The investigation remains ongoing.
