Colleyville, Texas hostage taking MOSCOW, Jan 16 Israeli Minister of Affairs Diaspora Nachman Shai said that he is closely following the developments in the American city of Colleyville, Texas, where an unknown person took hostages in a synagogue. «I am closely following from Israel the situation with the hostages taking place in the Beth Israel congregation, where the Jewish community gathered for Shabbat services in Colleyville, Texas,» the minister tweeted, adding that he was praying for a speedy resolution to the situation.According to the American television channel ABC News, a hostage-taker in a synagogue in Colleyville holds four people and demands the release of a woman convicted of attempted murder of an American soldier . So far, only one suspect is known, the TV channel points out. According to media reports, the hostage-taker claims that he is the brother of Aafia Siddiqi, convicted of terrorism, and demands the release of his sister. She was accused of having links with al-Qaeda * and was sentenced to 86 years for assault and attempted murder of an American soldier, and is now being held at an Air Force base near Fort Worth in Texas. An FBI negotiator made contact with the man. Hostage-taking situation monitored by the White House.*Terrorist organization banned in Russia.
