Texas synagogue suspect killed, issue not connected to Jewish community

A man who took four people hostage at a Texas synagogue is "deceased," after the captives were rescued unharmed.

"The hostage rescue team breached the synagogue," Colleyville police chief Michael Miller told a news conference on Saturday. "The suspect is deceased," he said.

All hostages had freed unharmed after an hours-long standoff at a Texas synagogue, where a man apparently demanding the release of a convicted terrorist had taken several captives, the state governor said.

Some 10 hours into the crisis, Greg Abbott tweeted that "all hostages are out alive and safe" at 9:30 pm (0330 Sunday GMT).

The FBI said the man who held hostages for hours was specifically focused on an issue not directly connected to the Jewish community.

One hostage was released during the standoff, three others were rescued when authorities entered the building. Authorities say the hostage taker is dead but are not saying how he was killed. 

There were reports from journalists at the scene of a loud explosion and gunshots at the synagogue just before Abbott made the announcement. 

President Joe Biden had also been briefed on the hostage situation, according to the White House.

Police said they were alerted to an emergency Saturday morning at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Dallas, with reports circulating quickly that it was a hostage situation.

Demanding release of Aafia Siddiqui

ABC News reported that the hostage-taker was armed and had claimed to have bombs in unknown locations.

Quoting a US official briefed on the matter, ABC reported the man was demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who has been dubbed "Lady Qaeda" by US tabloids.

ABC initially said the man claimed to be Siddiqui's brother, but then later clarified her brother is in Houston. Other experts said the word the man used in Arabic was more figurative and meant "sister" in the Islamic faith.

Aafia Siddiqui's lawyer said she "has absolutely no involvement" in the hostage situation in a statement to CNN. The lawyer confirmed that the man was not Siddiqui's brother and said she condemned his actions.

Siddiqui, a former Pakistani scientist, was in 2010 sentenced by a New York court to 86 years in prison for attempted murder of US officers in Afghanistan. The high-profile case sparked outrage in Pakistan.

She is currently being held at Federal Medical Center (FMC) prison in Fort Worth, Texas.

READ MORE: All synagogue hostages released, says Texas governor