Two people were killed and three others seriously injured on Thursday in a car and stabbing attack outside a packed synagogue in Manchester, United Kingdom, as worshippers marked Yom Kippur.
Police said firearms officers shot dead the suspect near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall after he rammed a vehicle into people and attacked a security guard with a knife. A terrorism-response protocol was immediately activated.
Greater Manchester Police declared a “major incident” around 9:30 am and confirmed the attacker carried suspicious items, prompting the deployment of a bomb disposal unit.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack as “horrific”, pledging stronger security at synagogues nationwide. He left a European summit in Denmark to chair an emergency security meeting in London.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed deep shock, while Israel’s embassy in the UK described the incident as “abhorrent and deeply distressing”.
Witnesses said police fired several shots at the suspect after he ignored warnings. The synagogue, which had been full for Yom Kippur services, was placed under lockdown before worshippers were safely evacuated.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham praised the swift police response and urged the public not to spread speculation online.
The attack comes just days before the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 raids on Israel, an event that continues to inflame tensions worldwide.
Manchester, home to one of the UK’s largest Jewish communities, has previously witnessed deadly terror incidents, including the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing that killed 22 people.
