And ABC News, citing an unidentified source, reported that the suspect is holding a rabbi and three others hostage at the Beth Israel synagogue in Colleville, about 40 kilometers west of Dallas.
The channel added that the hijacker is armed, and claims to have placed bombs in undisclosed locations.
ABC News quoted a US official familiar with the matter as saying that the man claims to be the brother of Aafia Siddiqui, whom American newspapers dubbed “The Lady of Al Qaeda”, and he is calling for his sister’s release from prison.
In 2010, a New York court sentenced 86-year-old Pakistani Aafia Siddiqui to prison for attempting to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan. The high-profile case has sparked protests in Pakistan.
A live broadcast of Saturday prayers on Facebook captured the voice of a man speaking loudly, although it did not show the scene inside the building.
The voice says, “Put my sister on the phone” and “I’m going to die,” and is heard saying, “Something is wrong with America.”
The broadcast began at ten in the morning and stopped at two o’clock in the afternoon.
The Colville Police Department said in a tweet on Twitter at 11:30 am (4:30 GMT) that “special forces are conducting an operation” in the “Beit Israel” synagogue.
Police said the incident was still going on as of 14:20 local time (20:20 GMT) and asked people to avoid the area.
FBI agents were also present at the scene, according to a video clip broadcast by CNN.
The Dallas Morning News reported that police were negotiating with the hostage taker, and quoted a security official as saying it was not clear how many people were inside the building.
US President Joe Biden took note of a “hostage-taking operation under way,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“(Biden) will continue to receive updated information from his team,” Psaki said on Twitter.
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