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| Arrests in London Tube Bombing Stun a Suburban Town | Arrests in London Tube Bombing Stun a Suburban Town |
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| SUNBURY-ON-THAMES, England — One was an 18-year-old Iraqi orphan who was known to neighbors of his elderly foster parents as a troublemaker. The other was a 21-year-old from Syria who fled the civil war there and made his way via Egypt to London, where he found work at a fried-chicken shop. | |
| On Monday, the first glimmers of information began to surface about the two young men who are suspects in the crude bombing of an Underground subway train on Friday morning, in what the authorities have called a terrorist attack. | On Monday, the first glimmers of information began to surface about the two young men who are suspects in the crude bombing of an Underground subway train on Friday morning, in what the authorities have called a terrorist attack. |
| The explosion injured at least 30 people, and although no one was killed, the episode briefly caused Britain to raise its terrorism threat to the highest possible level. The Islamic State said that a “detachment” of its fighters had carried out the attack, but the authorities in Britain have declined to confirm that or provide details of the suspects or what motivated them. | The explosion injured at least 30 people, and although no one was killed, the episode briefly caused Britain to raise its terrorism threat to the highest possible level. The Islamic State said that a “detachment” of its fighters had carried out the attack, but the authorities in Britain have declined to confirm that or provide details of the suspects or what motivated them. |
| The two young men, who were arrested separately on Saturday, are being held under a law that allows the police to detain suspects without charge beyond the usual four-day limit. | The two young men, who were arrested separately on Saturday, are being held under a law that allows the police to detain suspects without charge beyond the usual four-day limit. |
| The arrests came as a shock here in Sunbury-on-Thames, a middle-class suburb in Surrey, just west of Greater London, where the two men had stayed with foster parents, Ronald and Penelope Jones. | The arrests came as a shock here in Sunbury-on-Thames, a middle-class suburb in Surrey, just west of Greater London, where the two men had stayed with foster parents, Ronald and Penelope Jones. |
| The couple — he is 88 and she 71 — have been lauded for sheltering hundreds of young people, many from broken or troubled homes, over four decades starting in 1970. In 2009, they were named members of the Order of the British Empire, an honor conferred for “outstanding achievement or service to the community.” Queen Elizabeth II recognized their dedication as part of a 2010 ceremony at Buckingham Palace. | The couple — he is 88 and she 71 — have been lauded for sheltering hundreds of young people, many from broken or troubled homes, over four decades starting in 1970. In 2009, they were named members of the Order of the British Empire, an honor conferred for “outstanding achievement or service to the community.” Queen Elizabeth II recognized their dedication as part of a 2010 ceremony at Buckingham Palace. |
| On Saturday, the police cordoned off the Joneses’ home in Sunbury-on-Thames and briefly evacuated the area around the house, warning neighbors that explosive materials might be in the house and its garden. | On Saturday, the police cordoned off the Joneses’ home in Sunbury-on-Thames and briefly evacuated the area around the house, warning neighbors that explosive materials might be in the house and its garden. |
| The police did not allow journalists near the Joneses’ house on Monday, and the couple were said to be staying with relatives. | The police did not allow journalists near the Joneses’ house on Monday, and the couple were said to be staying with relatives. |
| “They have an extremely good reputation, and there’s no suggestion that they were involved in this at all,” Ian Harvey, the leader of the Spelthorne Council, which represents the part of Surrey that includes Sunbury-on-Thames, said in a phone interview. | “They have an extremely good reputation, and there’s no suggestion that they were involved in this at all,” Ian Harvey, the leader of the Spelthorne Council, which represents the part of Surrey that includes Sunbury-on-Thames, said in a phone interview. |
| Nicola Rider, 43, a neighbor who lives in the area that was cordoned off, called the Joneses “complete angels — the kindest and warmest people you will ever meet.” | Nicola Rider, 43, a neighbor who lives in the area that was cordoned off, called the Joneses “complete angels — the kindest and warmest people you will ever meet.” |
| She added: “They have six kids of their own, but they have taken in and helped hundreds of abandoned children over the years.” | She added: “They have six kids of their own, but they have taken in and helped hundreds of abandoned children over the years.” |
| Another neighbor, Rick Worth, 46, said the Joneses “weren’t the kinds of people that would complain about their children or the teenagers they looked after.” | Another neighbor, Rick Worth, 46, said the Joneses “weren’t the kinds of people that would complain about their children or the teenagers they looked after.” |
| The 18-year-old was arrested around 7:50 a.m. on Saturday in the departures area of the port of Dover, apparently while trying to flee Britain. | The 18-year-old was arrested around 7:50 a.m. on Saturday in the departures area of the port of Dover, apparently while trying to flee Britain. |
| Both neighbors said he had built a reputation for getting into fights. | Both neighbors said he had built a reputation for getting into fights. |
| “The police brought him to the house a few weeks ago after he got into an altercation, but I don’t think they thought anything of it,” Ms. Rider said. “I mean, he’s 18. We all get into trouble at that age.” | “The police brought him to the house a few weeks ago after he got into an altercation, but I don’t think they thought anything of it,” Ms. Rider said. “I mean, he’s 18. We all get into trouble at that age.” |
| She added: “I know that they got more strict on him after that incident. I don’t think they let him out as much.” | She added: “I know that they got more strict on him after that incident. I don’t think they let him out as much.” |
| Mr. Worth said: “You didn’t really see the boy out and about much. We mainly just saw him coming in and out of the house. He was quiet and kept to himself. You know, head down, never smiled.” | Mr. Worth said: “You didn’t really see the boy out and about much. We mainly just saw him coming in and out of the house. He was quiet and kept to himself. You know, head down, never smiled.” |
| The 21-year-old was arrested at 11:50 p.m. on Saturday outside Aladdin’s, a fried-chicken shop where he worked, in the outer London borough of Hounslow. | The 21-year-old was arrested at 11:50 p.m. on Saturday outside Aladdin’s, a fried-chicken shop where he worked, in the outer London borough of Hounslow. |
| He was identified by his brother — who is named Aladdin but has no connection to the restaurant — as Yahyah Farroukh. In an interview via the messaging app WhatsApp from his home in the Netherlands, Aladdin said their family’s bakery in Damascus, Syria, had been destroyed and that he had been detained and tortured by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. | He was identified by his brother — who is named Aladdin but has no connection to the restaurant — as Yahyah Farroukh. In an interview via the messaging app WhatsApp from his home in the Netherlands, Aladdin said their family’s bakery in Damascus, Syria, had been destroyed and that he had been detained and tortured by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. |
| Aladdin said that Yahyah had fled to Egypt in the summer of 2013, and then made his way first to Italy and then to Britain. | Aladdin said that Yahyah had fled to Egypt in the summer of 2013, and then made his way first to Italy and then to Britain. |
| “It is not possible after three years of study and work that Yahyah would bomb himself or get involved in such acts,” Aladdin said. “He was even looking for a girl to marry.” | “It is not possible after three years of study and work that Yahyah would bomb himself or get involved in such acts,” Aladdin said. “He was even looking for a girl to marry.” |
| Yahyah Farroukh appears to have had two Facebook profiles, one of which seems to be aimed toward his family. One of his profile pictures shows him at a Lidl supermarket, and the bomb used in the attack appeared to have been placed into a white bucket, wrapped inside a Lidl bag. | Yahyah Farroukh appears to have had two Facebook profiles, one of which seems to be aimed toward his family. One of his profile pictures shows him at a Lidl supermarket, and the bomb used in the attack appeared to have been placed into a white bucket, wrapped inside a Lidl bag. |
| The Facebook pages offer no suggestions of extremism. Yahyah regularly posted the flag of the Free Syrian Army, a moderate, secular group of fighters opposed to the Assad government. At one point, he posted a video of the singer Ahmed al-Kaseem, an anti-government singer. He was also a fan of the singer-songwriters Ellie Goulding and Justin Bieber, and the rapper and actor Wiz Khalifa. | The Facebook pages offer no suggestions of extremism. Yahyah regularly posted the flag of the Free Syrian Army, a moderate, secular group of fighters opposed to the Assad government. At one point, he posted a video of the singer Ahmed al-Kaseem, an anti-government singer. He was also a fan of the singer-songwriters Ellie Goulding and Justin Bieber, and the rapper and actor Wiz Khalifa. |
| His social media profiles said he worked at two event-planning companies. On Instagram, he posted an image of a slogan declaring, in English, “For a better life, you need to have weed, vodka and drugs,” and underneath, in Arabic, “For a better life, you need to be honest, generous and well-mannered. Those who know English should shut up.” (It appears to be a joke.) | His social media profiles said he worked at two event-planning companies. On Instagram, he posted an image of a slogan declaring, in English, “For a better life, you need to have weed, vodka and drugs,” and underneath, in Arabic, “For a better life, you need to be honest, generous and well-mannered. Those who know English should shut up.” (It appears to be a joke.) |
| His father died in Egypt in June after undergoing surgery for a blocked artery. | His father died in Egypt in June after undergoing surgery for a blocked artery. |
| Several of the posts contained mildly erotic or romantic references. Others mentioned innocuous religious verses. The pictures show a young man trying to be stylish — wearing sunglasses, a trilby hat and suit jackets. One picture appears to show him in a club. His Facebook check-ins suggest that he was interested in exploring Britain; he had traveled to Cornwall and Devon, in southwestern England. | Several of the posts contained mildly erotic or romantic references. Others mentioned innocuous religious verses. The pictures show a young man trying to be stylish — wearing sunglasses, a trilby hat and suit jackets. One picture appears to show him in a club. His Facebook check-ins suggest that he was interested in exploring Britain; he had traveled to Cornwall and Devon, in southwestern England. |
| West Thames College, a school in the Isleworth section of Hounslow, said that Yahyah studied English there from December 2013 to June 2015. | West Thames College, a school in the Isleworth section of Hounslow, said that Yahyah studied English there from December 2013 to June 2015. |
| In an interview via Facebook Messenger, Mo Ashour, who attended West Thames College at the same time as Mr. Farroukh, remembered him as “a good man who doesn’t like any problems.” | In an interview via Facebook Messenger, Mo Ashour, who attended West Thames College at the same time as Mr. Farroukh, remembered him as “a good man who doesn’t like any problems.” |
| And Mr. Farroukh’s cousin Ahmed, who works at an Arab-food company in London, described him as “a respectable and quiet man” who was happy living in Britain and dreamed of becoming an engineer. | And Mr. Farroukh’s cousin Ahmed, who works at an Arab-food company in London, described him as “a respectable and quiet man” who was happy living in Britain and dreamed of becoming an engineer. |
| Ahmed said he and his cousins “became refugees because of Assad.” And the brother, Aladdin, said his wife had lost relatives to the Islamic State. | Ahmed said he and his cousins “became refugees because of Assad.” And the brother, Aladdin, said his wife had lost relatives to the Islamic State. |
| As the authorities continued their investigation — searching the chicken restaurant as well as a housing complex in Stanwell, another London suburb, interviewing 120 witnesses and reviewing more than 180 videos and pictures relating to the attack — residents in Sunbury-on-Thames expressed shock. | As the authorities continued their investigation — searching the chicken restaurant as well as a housing complex in Stanwell, another London suburb, interviewing 120 witnesses and reviewing more than 180 videos and pictures relating to the attack — residents in Sunbury-on-Thames expressed shock. |
| “This is a very British area, it’s not often you see people from other ethnicities, so I’m sure the boys the Joneses took in had a hard time fitting in,” Tom Randall, who was drinking at the Running Horse Pub, said on Monday. He surmised: “They probably got bored because there’s a lot of elderly people here and there’s not much to do, apart from drinking at the pub and gambling.” | “This is a very British area, it’s not often you see people from other ethnicities, so I’m sure the boys the Joneses took in had a hard time fitting in,” Tom Randall, who was drinking at the Running Horse Pub, said on Monday. He surmised: “They probably got bored because there’s a lot of elderly people here and there’s not much to do, apart from drinking at the pub and gambling.” |