Two people have been killed and several others injured after a vehicle and knife attack outside a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday morning. The incident, which occurred at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, has been declared a terrorist attack by UK counter-terrorism police.
Greater Manchester Police received a report at 9.31am of a car being driven at members of the public and a man being stabbed. Within minutes, a major incident was declared and armed officers shot the suspect at the scene. The attacker, later named as 35-year-old Jihad al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, was wearing a vest that appeared to be an explosive device, which was later found not to be viable.
The victims have been identified as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, both members of the local Jewish community. One of the injured was a security guard at the synagogue. Three other people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences in connection with the attack.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his horror at the attack, noting that it occurred on Yom Kippur. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the “vile and disgusting” act and the rise in antisemitism. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham pledged support for the Jewish community, while local MP Graham Stringer urged that “these evil people do not damage our community.”
