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Teen Charged Over London Synagogue Arson as Counter‑Terror Probe Widens

Investigators are examining whether Iran-linked actors paid local recruits to target Jewish sites.

A member of the public speaks with a police officer at a cordon set up near to Kenton United Synagogue, the scene of an arson attack, on April 19, 2026.
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Overview

  • Police charged a 17-year-old with arson over the Kenton United Synagogue attack in Harrow, and a 19-year-old arrested in the case was released on bail as the synagogue reported only minor smoke damage and no injuries.
  • Counter Terrorism Policing is leading a single investigation into recent arsons and attempted arsons at Jewish- and Israeli-linked sites across north-west London.
  • Senior officers said a serious line of inquiry is that local perpetrators were recruited for cash by Iran-linked operatives, and most incidents have been claimed online by a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al‑Yamin al‑Islamia (HAYI).
  • Counter-terrorism police reported eight fresh arrests in a related conspiracy to commit arson and put total arrests since last month’s torching of Hatzola ambulances at 23, with one separate arrest under the Terrorism Act tied to jars found in Kensington Gardens that contained no hazardous material.
  • The Kenton firebombing followed attempted arsons at Finchley Reform Synagogue and a former Jewish charity site in Hendon, as political and community leaders denounced the attacks, patrols were stepped up at Jewish sites, and no fatalities have been reported to date.