LONDON: A 17-year-old dual British-Pakistani national is among three youngsters charged in connection with an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances in London last month, British prosecutors said over the weekend.

The teenager, who was not named due to his age, was arrested alongside British citizens Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, at separate places across east London on Wednesday (April 1). All three face charges of arson with recklessness.

The charges stem from an incident in the early hours of March 23 when four ambulances belonging to Hatzola, a volunteer-run Jewish emergency medical service, were set ablaze in the car park of a synagogue in Golders Green, a neighbourhood that is home to one of Britain’s largest Jewish communities.

The attack caused gas and oxygen canisters stored inside the vehicles to explode, shattering nearby windows and forcing some residents to evacuate their homes.

London’s Counter Terrorism Police is leading the investigation, though authorities have emphasised the incident “has not been declared as terrorism”.

The three accused appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, where they were remanded in custody after declining to enter pleas during the brief hearing. A fourth individual was reportedly arrested at the courthouse during the proceedings.

Helen Flanagan, heading the investigation, described the attack as “appalling” and praised the local community’s cooperation with the inquiry.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the incident as a “deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack”, adding that “antisemitism has no place in our society”.

The case has heightened security concerns for Britain’s Jewish community during the Passover period, prompting enhanced police patrols across London, including armed officers at vulnerable sites.

Two other men, arrested days after the incident, remain on bail pending further inquiries.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2026