In Boulder, Colorado, a 45-year-old man threw firebombs at a group of Jewish people. The group was holding a demonstration to remember Israeli hostages who are still held in Gaza. The attacker, Mohamed Soliman, shouted “Free Palestine” while throwing the devices. Six people were injured. No deaths were reported.

The incident took place at Pearl Street Mall, an area near the University of Colorado. The event was organised by a group called “Run for Their Lives”. The group said in a statement that they have been holding walks every week for the hostages since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. The group also said this was the first violent incident at their events.

FBI Director Kash Patel called the attack a “targeted terror attack”, while Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said it looked like “a hate crime given the group that was targeted”. The Boulder police chief said that they do not believe anyone else was involved in the attack. A top FBI official added, “This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also responded. He posted on X, “terrible antisemitic terror attack,” and called it “pure antisemitism”.

Indian lawmakers react during their US visit

A group of Indian MPs is currently visiting the United States to explain Operation Sindoor. While in the US, they expressed deep concern over the Colorado attack. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is leading this delegation.

He tweeted, “Members of the Indian MPs’ delegation learnt with concern about the terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, today. We are relieved there was no loss of life. We all share Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s view that ‘terror has no place’ in our countries.”

The suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is reportedly an immigrant who had overstayed his visa.

The United States has seen a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in recent months, mostly linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. Israel launched its military operation against Hamas after the Palestinian group attacked Israel in October 2023, killing over 1,200 people. Since then, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza—many of them women and children. The ministry does not mention how many of the dead were fighters.

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