A terrorist attack targeting worshippers on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, left two people dead and several others injured at a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday.
The suspect, identified as 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent Jihad Al-Shamie, was shot dead by armed police after ramming his car into pedestrians and stabbing a security guard outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall district.
Greater Manchester Police said the attacker appeared to be wearing an explosive vest, though bomb disposal experts later confirmed it was not viable.
Officers declared the incident a terrorist attack, with three other people, two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s, arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism.
Witnesses described panic and chaos as worshippers tried to flee. “The second he got out of the car, he started stabbing anyone near him,” neighbour Chava Lewin told British media.
Another witness reported police shouting, “He has a bomb, go away!” moments before shots were fired to stop the assailant.
Three victims remain in hospital in serious condition. Police praised the bravery of the synagogue’s security staff and congregants who managed to hold off the attacker long enough for armed units to intervene.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer cut short a European summit in Copenhagen to chair an emergency security meeting in London. He pledged reinforced protection for synagogues and Jewish institutions across Britain.
“To every Jewish person in this country, I want to say this: I know how much fear you will be holding inside of you… On behalf of our country, I express both solidarity and sadness that you still have to live with these fears,” Starmer said.
King Charles expressed that he was “deeply shocked and saddened,” while Jewish organisations warned the attack reflected growing dangers faced by Britain’s Jewish community.
The Jewish Leadership Council and Board of Deputies said in a joint statement: “This attack was sadly something we feared was coming.”
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar, however, criticised the UK’s response to antisemitism, accusing authorities of failing to curb “blatant and rampant” incitement. “We expect more than words from the Starmer government,” he said.
The attack comes amid record levels of antisemitism in Britain, with the Community Security Trust reporting over 3,500 incidents in 2024, the second worst year on record.
Security agencies have repeatedly warned of both Islamist and far-right threats, noting that at least 43 late-stage terror plots have been thwarted since 2017.
The Yom Kippur tragedy also draws grim comparisons to past attacks in Manchester, including the 2017 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that killed 22 people.
As the investigation continues, communities across Britain’s Jewish population are mourning, while police remain on high alert to prevent further violence.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
