Two British men arrested Thursday to be questioned about Colleyville hostage standoff

Two British men were arrested in England on Thursday morning in connection to the Colleyville hostage situation at a synagogue Saturday that ended after an 11-hour standoff with local and federal law enforcement.

“Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West continue to support the US authorities with their investigation into the events in Texas,” a news release from the Greater Manchester Police said. “As a result of this ongoing investigation, two men have been arrested this morning in Birmingham and Manchester. They remain in custody for questioning.”

Further information about the two men and their possible ties to the hostage-taker has not been released.

The arrests come shortly after the release of two teenagers, reportedly the hostage-taker’s sons, who were questioned by British police about the incident. They were released without charge.

U.S. authorities have said they believe the hostage-taker acted alone.

Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British national, was identified as the hostage-taker in Saturday’s events. He was shot and killed at the end of the standoff by the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. It’s unknown whether there was an exchange of gunfire between Akram and the FBI or how many shots were fired, but a senior law enforcement told NBC News that the use of force was warranted.

Akram released one of the four hostages. The FBI breached the building after the other three hostages, including the synagogue’s rabbi, escaped unharmed.

On Thursday, The Jewish Chronicle obtained an audio recording of a phone call between Akram and his younger brother, Gulbar, during the standoff. In the recording, Akram tells his brother, he was “opening the door for every youngster to enter America and (expletive) with them.”