The Metropolitan Police said it is increasing patrols and resources after a series of antisemitic attacks across London, with counter-terrorism officers investigating the latest incident targeting a Jewish charity in the U.K. capital.
The police said a man was seen to approach a row of shops in Hendon on Friday (April 17, 2026) with a plastic bag containing what was later found to be three bottles containing fluid. He placed the bag next to the building and lit the items in the bag before fleeing, but the bottles failed to fully ignite.
According to 'The Sunday Times', it marks the fifth incident claimed by an Islamist group suspected to be linked to Iran's intelligence services amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. A group named Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) is said to have claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Telegram app.
"We recognise the feeling of concern among local people and do not underestimate the impact of incidents of this nature, particularly on our Jewish communities," said Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads the Met's policing in the north London area.
"We continue to work with our colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing who are leading the investigations into all of these incidents due to the similar circumstances and online claims of responsibility. We and Counter Terrorism Policing have officers working continuously to support this investigation and our communities," he said on Saturday (April 18, 2026).
