The Iran-linked front group Ashab al Yamin said it was responsible for conducting a recent string of attacks in the UK, Germany, Macedonia, and the Netherlands in April, with most of the incidents taking place in London. Since the group emerged in early March, it has claimed 15 attacks against Jewish and Western institutions across Europe.
On April 17, Ashab al Yamin said that it was behind an arson aimed at Jewish Futures in London, also saying the educational organization was targeted due to its links to Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The BBC reported that counterterrorism police were investigating the incident. According to police, a man attempted to ignite a bag containing flammable liquid outside the building, which was formerly used by Jewish Futures. Only minor damage was reported, and no injuries occurred. No arrests have been made in connection with the arson.
A day earlier, on April 16, Telegram channels associated with the Iran-led Axis of Resistance published another claim by Ashab al Yamin, saying the group had targeted the Embassy of Israel in London with two drones that contained “radioactive and dangerous carcinogenic materials.” Ashab al Yamin said that it had moved to the “second phase of operations” against “American and Zionist interests.”
Hours after Ashab al Yamin’s claim, police closed London’s Kensington Gardens due to “a number of discarded items” that authorities were “assessing,” The New York Times reported. Law enforcement said that the Israeli embassy did not come under attack, and that police were determining a link between the items found in the park and the video published by Ashab al Yamin.
FDD’s Long War Journal isolated the voices in the Ashab al Yamin video and determined that the Arabic spoken in the video was of Iraqi origin.
Ashab al Yamin has also said it was responsible for a string of other operations in Europe since early April.
On April 15, Ashab al Yamin claimed credit for an arson attack against the London-based Iran International, a Persian-language satellite news channel. A statement published by the outlet said that at roughly 8:15 pm on April 15, “a suspicious vehicle was denied entry at the site’s main entrance.” A short time later, “incendiary devices were thrown into the car park of a neighboring building just meters from the studios.” Law enforcement authorities confirmed that they arrested three suspects in the incident and said that the arson was not being investigated as terrorism, but Counter Terrorism Policing London was involved in the matter.
The same day, Ashab al Yamin claimed an arson at a north London synagogue. A video disseminated by the group briefly showed what appears to be the synagogue during the time of the attack. The BBC reported that two baclava-clad suspects approached the Finchley Reform Synagogue and threw a brick and two bottles that were believed to contain an accelerant. There were no injuries or damage caused by the attack. Police arrested two suspects, but they were later released on bail.
On April 14, pro-Iranian regime Telegram channels disseminated two videos by Ashab al Yamin claiming responsibility for attacks on “Zionist” institutions. The first publication claimed credit for an attack at the Eclipse Grill Bar in Munich. The footage shows a statement claiming responsibility for the attack on April 10, framing it as a response to the “Zionist government” that has “no mercy on any Muslims.” Additional scenes in the video show the location that was attacked, including video of the aftermath of the assault on the restaurant.
News outlets confirmed the incident, reporting that Eclipse Grill Bar was targeted by a “suspected antisemitic attack.” Citing law enforcement, the Euronews television news network reported that “unknown individuals threw pyrotechnic devices into the dining area of the Eclipse restaurant,” and the business incurred “several thousand euros in damage.” The report said that Munich’s criminal police branch is leading the investigation, adding that Andreas Franck, the Bavarian justice system’s antisemitism commissioner, is also involved in the probe. Law enforcement has not located the suspects.
Ashab al Yamin’s second video shows a picture of a synagogue in Skopje, Macedonia, labeled as a target. Also in the footage is closed-circuit television video of two suspects setting fire to an area inside a courtyard at the site. Unlike the Munich video, the footage did not contain a statement. The Times of Israel reported that the attack occurred on April 12 at the entrance of the Beth Yaacov Synagogue and Jewish community building. Surveillance footage showed two suspects carrying out the arson attack before leaving the area. No suspects have been arrested in the case.
Separately, Ashab al Yamin claimed an attack on the Israel Products Center, a Christian and pro-Israel non-profit group operated by Christians for Israel in Nijkerk, Netherlands, on April 4.The group said in its statement that the Israel Products Center and its operator aided the Jewish state with “financial and moral support.” CBS News reported that the explosion was caused by a suspect “dressed in black” who planted an “explosive device” at the institution. There were no reports of injuries, and the blast caused “limited damage.” Law enforcement authorities have not arrested suspects in the case.
A tally by Long War Journal shows that Ashab al Yamin has claimed responsibility for 15 attacks across Europe since it emerged in early March. The group’s claimed operations — some targeting the same countries multiple times — span the UK, the Netherlands, Macedonia, Germany, Belgium, and Greece.
Joe Truzman is an editor and senior research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal focused primarily on Palestinian armed groups and non-state actors in the Middle East.
