The second suspect in the failed London subway attack has been identified as a Syrian refugee, British media leaks.
In a telephone call to Scotland Yard, the police refused to disclose to Asharq Al-Awsat the identity of the suspect, who was arrested on Sunday.
“The personal information of a suspect cannot be disclosed as long as charges are not filed against him,” said a Scotland Yard spokesman.
Two suspects have so far been held in the failed attack. The police expected charges to be filed against them within two days.
Through surveillance footage of the attack, British media identified the Syrian suspect as Yehya Farroukh, 21, who had sought asylum in Britain in 2014. The police raided his Surrey residence in west London where he was living after he moved out of the home of the British family that had taken him in as an asylum seeker.
The other suspect in the failed attack is an Iraqi refugee, 18, who was detained as he was attempting to leave Britain through the Dover ferry port.
Farroukh’s cousin described him as a “simple man, whose goal was to work and study.” He said that he was supporting his sisters, who are living in Egypt.
In addition, he revealed that his relative was not religious and that he loved living in England.
On Friday, an improvised bomb went off prematurely near Parsons Green subway station in London. Thirty people were wounded in the attack that was claimed by the ISIS terrorist group.
Police said that the casualty list would have been longer had the bomb not went off prematurely. They also stated that they have so far not found any evidence to indicate that the attack was linked to extremist groups.
