Two people were killed and three others seriously wounded on Thursday in a car-and-knife attack outside a synagogue in Manchester, before the suspected assailant was shot by police.
The incident occurred at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall as worshippers gathered to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police declared a “major incident” shortly after 9:30 a.m. and confirmed that the suspect, who was shot by firearms officers, was also believed to be dead.
A bomb disposal unit was called after “suspicious items” were found on the man.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack as “horrific,” stressing that additional security would be deployed at synagogues across the country. He left a European summit in Denmark to chair an emergency security meeting in London.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla said they were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the violence.
Israel’s embassy in London called the attack “abhorrent and deeply distressing,” while the Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish safety charity, described it as an “appalling assault on the holiest day of the Jewish year.”
Witnesses reported that the attacker first drove a car into people outside the synagogue before stabbing a security guard. Police confirmed that three survivors remain in serious condition.
Worshippers inside were initially kept within the synagogue as officers secured the area before evacuation.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham praised the swift police response and urged the public not to spread speculation online.
Local MP Graham Stringer noted the city’s long-standing tradition of strong interfaith relations, saying both Jewish and Muslim communities would be shaken by the attack.
Manchester, which has one of the UK’s largest Jewish populations, has previously been the target of major terror incidents, including the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing that killed 22 people.