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Two members of the Jewish community were killed and four others seriously injured in the attack, said officials.
Two killed in attack on a UK Synagogue | AP Image
British police have declared Thursday’s deadly assault at a synagogue in Manchester a ‘terrorist attack’ after a man rammed a car into worshippers and stabbed several people during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Two members of the Jewish community were killed and four others seriously injured, said officials.
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The incident took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall shortly after 9:30 am local time.
Worshippers managed to prevent the attacker from entering the synagogue, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The suspect, who was wearing a vest resembling an explosive device, was fatally shot by armed officers within seven minutes of the assault.
Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who heads counter-terrorism policing in the UK, confirmed the attack had been designated a terrorist incident.
“Those who have been killed and injured are at the forefront of our minds, as are their families, friends and all those who love them. An attack on the Jewish community today, on Yom Kippur, is devastating,” he said.
Authorities said the suspect’s identity is believed to be known but has not been formally released. Two additional arrests have been made in connection with the case.
Video verified by media outlets showed the suspect on the ground as officers aimed their weapons.
When he attempted to get up, an officer fired a single round. Another video appeared to show a Jewish worshipper lying in a pool of blood near the synagogue.
GMP initially withheld confirmation of the suspect’s death while bomb disposal teams investigated “suspicious items” on his body.
Police said a large number of worshippers were temporarily kept inside the synagogue for safety but were later allowed to leave.
Taylor said patrols around synagogues and Jewish sites across the UK had been stepped up.
“We are deploying all of our capabilities in response to what has happened, with resources from across our counter-terrorism network involved,” he added.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, cutting short his visit to a European summit in Copenhagen, returned to London to chair a COBRA emergency meeting.
Earlier, he said he was “appalled” by the attack. “We will do everything possible to keep our Jewish community safe.”
“The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” Starmer posted on X.
His wife, Victoria, is Jewish.
The Israeli Embassy in London also condemned the assault, calling it “abhorrent and deeply distressing.”
Police say it will take time to establish the full circumstances of the attack, but the Jewish community in the UK has already been placed on heightened alert.
United Kingdom (UK)
October 02, 2025, 21:56 IST
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