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Police in London have charged two British men and a joint British-Pakistani national with arson offences over a March 23 attack on ambulances owned by a Jewish charity.
The Metropolitan Police said all three had been charged with arson with intent to damage property and with being reckless as to whether life would be endangered over the attack in Golders Green in north-west London, which has a large Jewish population.
The two British nationals, Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, are from Leyton, in north-east London, while the dual British-Pakistani national, 17, is from Walthamstow, also in north-east London, and cannot be named because of his age. The three were all arrested on Wednesday.
The attack on the ambulances belonging to the Hatzola charity is one of a series of arson incidents around Europe since the start of the US-led war in Iran that has been claimed by Ashab al-Yamin. The previously unknown group has made announcements via social media channels used for Iranian propaganda.
The police and the Crown Prosecution Service did not mention Ashab al-Yamin when announcing the charges on Friday. Police had previously said they were aware of the group’s claim of responsibility.
The three men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Investigation of the incident has been led by Counter Terrorism Policing London, the counterterrorism arm of the Met, but officers said that it has not been classified as terrorism.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said that since the “appalling attack”, the force had been “working continuously” to investigate and identify those responsible.
She said: “The investigation has now reached a stage where three people have been charged and they will now appear in court.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, head of policing for North-West London, acknowledged that “community concerns” in the area remained high following the attack, particularly for Jewish communities during the current Passover festival period.
“Since the arson attack, we have put in place an enhanced, bespoke policing plan, which has been focused around vulnerable areas not only in Golders Green but right across London,” he said.
Police previously arrested two other men in relation to the Golders Green attack two days after it took place. But they have been released on bail pending further inquiries.