Four young men pleaded guilty in a London court to criminal damage by arson after setting fire to four ambulances belonging to the Jewish emergency medical service Hatzola in Golders Green, north London.
The attack, which took place in the early hours of March 23, caused about £1 million in damage and also damaged nearby apartments and a synagogue after gas canisters inside the ambulances exploded.
The ambulances belonging to the Jewish Hatzola organization that were set on fire
(Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
The defendants are Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, whose name was cleared for publication after he turned 18 in June.
According to the indictment, Ali supplied the Toyota used by the group to travel from east London. The other three carried out the arson while Ali waited in the vehicle. All four were arrested by counterterrorism police, although the incident itself was not formally classified as an act of terrorism. They were remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.
At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Emma Harvie said there was significant evidence that the attack had been deliberately directed at the Jewish community. The defense, however, argued that the precise motive remained unknown. A group linked to Iran claimed responsibility for the attack.