British Police on Thursday said two people died after a man drove his car into pedestrians and stabbed a security guard while attacking a synagogue where worshippers were observing Yom Kippur in Manchester city.
“Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries. One sustained a stab wound and a second was struck by the car involved in the attack,” Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The investigation took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in North Manchester.
“We can confirm that three suspects are currently in custody and have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. They are two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s,” Greater Manchester Police said.
Attacker identified
The attacker was identified as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie.
“He is a British citizen of Syrian descent,” Greater Manchester Police said.
Police said: “A suspicious device worn by the attacker during the incident has been assessed and was deemed not to be viable.”
The attacker was shot dead by the armed officers.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as a ‘terror attack’
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack on the synagogue as a ‘terror’ incident.
He wrote on X: “This was a vile terrorist attack that attacked Jews, because they are Jews.”
“Antisemitism is a hatred that is rising, once again. Britain must defeat it, once again,” he said.
Benjamin Netanyahu reacts
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as ‘barbaric’.
Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X: “Israel grieves with the Jewish community in the UK after the barbaric terror attack in Manchester. Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded. As I warned at the UN: weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it.”
What did the witness say?
Rivka H., a mother of four who attends the Heaton Park synagogue and lives just minutes away from it, told CNN: “There was so much police around the synagogue, so many sirens, it made me feel sick. And then I knocked on my neighbour’s door and she told me that two people had died and I was really, really shocked.”
