Mystery of Pop-Up 'Terror Group' Claiming Golders Green Ambulance Attack
Four ambulances operated by the Jewish charity Hatzola were set ablaze in Golders Green, north-west London, in an apparent arson attack early on Monday morning. Dramatic CCTV footage captured three individuals igniting one of the vehicles, which were parked at the Machzike Hadath Synagogue car park on Highfield Road.
Unverified Claims on Telegram
Shortly after the incident, a Telegram channel purporting to represent a group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), translating to the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, claimed responsibility. The channel, which had fewer than 200 subscribers, posted a video with text in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, describing the synagogue as "one of the main bastions of support for Israel in Britain" rather than directly mentioning the ambulances. By Tuesday, the channel had been deleted, leaving its origins unclear.
Security sources acknowledge HAYI's modus operandi but do not recognise the group's name, cautioning against hastily attributing the attack. The Metropolitan Police are working to authenticate the claim, and the incident has not yet been designated as terrorist-related.
Links to Iranian Proxies and Disinformation
Experts note that HAYI's branding resembles that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its broader terror network. Before deletion, the Telegram channel shared videos of four other arson attacks across Europe and information about an attack in the Czech Republic attributed to another group, the Earthquake Faction. Researchers at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) found these videos had circulated in channels affiliated with Iraqi pro-Iranian militias beforehand.
Julian Lanchès, a junior research fellow at ICCT, highlighted that there were no known references to HAYI prior to March 9, when a post appeared in a Telegram channel linked to such militias. He pointed to inconsistencies, such as linguistic errors in claim videos and a logo featuring a sniper rifle instead of typical AK-style imagery, suggesting "locally recruited actors" rather than direct Iranian intelligence operations.
Roger Macmillan, former security director at Iran International, speculated that HAYI emerged after recent US-Israeli attacks in Iran, with its claims aimed at instilling fear. Dr Hans-Jacob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project emphasised that HAYI is unlikely to be a genuine new terror group, given its rapid claim of five attacks in four countries, which he described as part of efforts to create an impression of widespread terror in Europe.
Broader European Context
The Telegram channel also shared a "final warning" to EU citizens to distance themselves from American and Zionist interests. It claimed attacks including an explosion outside an American bank near the World Trade Centre in Amsterdam, fires at a Jewish school in Amsterdam, and an explosion at a synagogue in Rotterdam. Dutch authorities have arrested five young men in connection with the Rotterdam incident but say it is too early to determine links between events.
In a related case, two Swedish citizens, aged 16 and 18 at the time, were jailed earlier this year for grenade attacks on Israel's embassy in Denmark in October 2024, with prosecutors linking them to a criminal network acting as "the armed wing of a Middle Eastern terrorist organisation".
Expert Analysis and Implications
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, noted that HAYI's logos are adopted from the IRGC, suggesting the group could be activated through sleeper cells or transnational criminal syndicates targeting Israeli and Jewish interests. Kevan Jones, chair of the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee, highlighted that Iranian and Russian regimes use proxies, including paid individuals, to carry out attacks, complicating police investigations.
As investigations continue, the mystery deepens over whether HAYI is a genuine terrorist entity or a facade for hybrid operations, with experts urging caution in interpreting these rapidly evolving claims.
