Report of drone with ‘dangerous substances’ near London’s Israeli Embassy sparks UK police probe

LONDON — British police said on Friday they were investigating a security incident near the Israeli Embassy in London after a group reported online that it had targeted the premises with drones carrying “dangerous substances.”

Matt Jukes, the head of counter-terrorism at London police, said there were no signs the embassy had been attacked, but officers in protective clothing were assessing “discarded items” found near the building.

The embassy said in a statement that all its staff were safe.

Counter-terror police investigate

“Counter Terrorism Policing London are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claim to have targeted the nearby embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances,” Jukes said in a televised statement.

“And whilst we can confirm that the embassy has not been attacked, we’re carrying out urgent inquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens.”

The pro-Iranian group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, or Movement of the Companions of the Right Hand of Islam, had posted a video that included footage of drones along with two figures dressed in protective clothing and a message that the Israeli Embassy was being targeted.

The group has claimed responsibility for a spate of attacks across Europe on US, Israeli and Jewish targets, including an arson attack that destroyed several ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola, which were parked near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of north London.

Jukes said the police presence had been stepped up and cordons had been put in place, meaning there was no public access to Kensington Gardens and the surrounding area.

“We do not believe there to be any increased public safety risk at this time, and we would urge people, nonetheless, to avoid the area while officers carry out their work,” Jukes said.

The Israeli Embassy said in a statement that a suspected security incident was being investigated in an adjacent park.

“We wish to clarify that all embassy staff are safe and that the embassy was not attacked,” it said. “As always we remain in close and continuous contact with the local authorities.”

It was the latest in a number of incidents involving the embassy and Jewish sites in the British capital since the ambulances were torched last month.

Earlier this week, two suspects were arrested over an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in north London.

In March, two men were charged with being tasked by Iran to carry out hostile surveillance on the Israeli Embassy and other Jewish targets, while earlier this week, a man from Kuwait went on trial accused of planning a terrorist attack on the embassy.