London — A little-known group that has claimed responsibility for a string of antisemitic attacks across Europe told CBS News it will continue targeting U.S. and Israeli interests worldwide after security cameras captured three men setting fire to ambulances used by a global Jewish medical organization in London. Hours later the group claimed responsibility for a car burned in a Jewish neighborhood in Antwerp, Belgium.
The group identified itself as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Righteous). A representative told CBS News: “We’ll keep threatening U.S. and Israeli interests worldwide until we’ve avenged every child in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, and the resistance nations. We urge people to stay away from Zionist and American interests and individuals to keep themselves safe.”
Ashab al-Yamin first announced its existence in early March, after the U.S. and Israel launched the ongoing campaign against Iran. In the weeks since, it has claimed several incidents targeting Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands and posted propaganda videos on a Telegram channel created last week. The channel published messages in English, Arabic and Hebrew — but not Persian — and its posts referenced Christian and Jewish philosophy rather than Islamic teachings.
CBS News exchanged messages with the channel administrator, who used the name Asad-Allah and wrote in American English. The administrator said the London arson of ambulances belonging to United Hatzalah was carried out at night to avoid harming people but added that approach “could change.” The administrator cited conflicts in Gaza and Iran to justify attacks on Jewish cultural centers and a building housing the Dutch office of the Bank of New York Mellon, the latter following Iranian threats to U.S. financial institutions in the region.
Analysts: hybrid, astroturfed or opportunist?
Experts say the group’s sudden online emergence and low-budget propaganda suggest a hybrid or astroturfed model rather than a large, locally rooted organization. Lucas Webber, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Tech Against Terrorism, told CBS News the group “looks less like a grassroots European cell that came out of nowhere and more like an astroturfed terror brand… plugged into an existing Iran-aligned network and experimenting with low-cost, high-visibility operations in Europe.”
Sharon Adarlo, a conflict analyst and editor at Militant Wire, said perpetrators may be “volunteer or paid recruits solicited by pro-Iran elements” and predicted further attacks and possible copycats. Videos by Ashab al-Yamin have used orchestral music rather than the Islamic “nasheeds” common in jihadist propaganda, and the amateurish clips can nonetheless generate psychological impact and media attention, analysts said.
Neil Basu, former head of U.K. Counterterrorism Policing, warned the group could be opportunistic — taking credit for attacks it did not direct, in a tactic similar to how ISIS once claimed disparate acts to amplify perceived reach. Acts carried out through proxies provide plausible deniability for any state sponsor, Basu noted, creating disruption without an overt escalation that a sponsoring regime might seek to avoid.
Possible links to Iran or Russia, and recruitment patterns
CBS News and other outlets tracking Europe attacks have documented cases in which predominantly young men, often recent immigrants, were recruited via Telegram and social media with promises of easy payment in cash or cryptocurrency. Research by the Royal United Services Institute has highlighted involvement by intelligence-linked networks associated with Russia in some incidents. Court records show that in several past cases suspects were unaware of the wider goals or who was paying them.
Adarlo stressed she is not certain how, or if, Ashab al-Yamin is connected to Iran directly: “They could be volunteers who contacted IRGC via Telegram, or are being paid a small fee, used by pro-Iran elements to cause trouble,” she said, while not ruling out organized criminal involvement. CBS News noted that the group’s administrator deleted the Telegram account shortly after corresponding.
Confirmed and alleged incidents, arrests
Prior to the London ambulance arson, Ashab al-Yamin claimed responsibility for several confirmed incidents: an improvised explosive detonated outside a synagogue in Liege, Belgium; an explosion at a synagogue in Rotterdam; and arson and vandalism targeting Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands. Early Tuesday the group said it had burned cars on a prominent street in Antwerp.
Dutch police arrested five teenagers after a March 13 explosion at a Rotterdam synagogue that the group claimed. Belgian authorities said two minors were arrested in connection with the Antwerp arson; they had not been questioned immediately and investigators were considering “all possibilities.”
In London, the Metropolitan Police arrested two men, aged 45 and 47, on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life in connection with the Golders Green ambulance attack. Searches were under way at two residences. Counterterrorism Commander Helen Flanagan described the arrests as an important breakthrough but noted CCTV suggested at least three people were involved and the investigation remained active.
Official reactions and security measures
The U.S. State Department urged Americans worldwide to “exercise increased caution,” warning that “groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world.”
London police announced enhanced, bespoke policing plans focused on vulnerable areas and deployed specialist officers and highly visible armed patrols as precautionary measures. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the arson as “horrifying” and pledged to remain in contact with Jewish community leaders and to combat antisemitism.
Belgium has deployed military personnel to protect Jewish schools, synagogues and the Israeli Embassy under “Operation Green Shield” after a request from federal police. The three-month operation began with about 100 troops and can be increased to 200 if needed. Italy has long placed heightened security around prominent Jewish institutions.
Europol said it supports police investigations across member states but does not deal with preventative measures, referring inquiries to national authorities.
Outlook
Analysts warn that even amateurish attacks and crude propaganda can achieve strategic aims by sowing fear, disrupting communities and forcing authorities to divert resources. Whether Ashab al-Yamin is a small local group, an astroturfed brand plugged into foreign networks, or an opportunistic claimant remains unclear. Investigations in several countries and arrests in London, the Netherlands and Belgium are ongoing as authorities assess the authenticity of claims and any foreign connections.
