An attack at a synagogue in Manchester, north of England, on Thursday morning that left two victims dead and four others injured is being treated as a “terrorist incident,” police have confirmed. The suspect was fatally shot by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) firearms officers at the scene and three arrests have since been made in relation to the attack.
The two men who died were members of Greater Manchester’s Jewish community, chief constable Sir Stephen Watson confirmed. While police earlier reported that four people were seeking treatment for injuries sustained during the incident, as of Thursday night, “three men remain in hospital with serious injuries.”
During a late-night press briefing on Thursday, police also offered further information about the deceased suspect and the arrestees in custody.
What do we know about the deceased suspect and the three arrested persons?
“We can confirm that three suspects are currently in custody and have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation, and instigation of acts of terrorism. They are two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s,” read a statement from GMP.
Although “a formal identification is yet to take place,” the police said they “believe the person responsible for today’s attacks is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie.”
Per the statement, Al-Shamie is a British citizen of Syrian descent. Police records “do not show any previous Prevent referrals relating to this individual.” Prevent is the U.K.’s nationwide programme that aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
Senior members of the police force had earlier said they were confident they knew the attacker’s identity, but “for safety reasons at the scene” were unable to confirm as the suspect had been wearing a “vest which had the appearance of an explosive device.”
Now, police have stated that the “suspicious device” worn by the attacker during the attack has been “assessed and was deemed not to be viable.”
Police have asked the public to “remain vigilant” as investigations continue and to report anything that “doesn’t feel right.”
What do we know about the attack at the Manchester synagogue?
Police first responded to a call at 9:31 a.m., local time, on Thursday morning outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall area of northern Manchester, where attendees were honoring the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur.
The caller reported a suspect driving a car towards members of the public. Per police, the driver of the car “was seen to then attack people with a knife.” The suspect was shot dead by armed police officers at around 9:38 a.m. and paramedics arrived at the scene shortly thereafter. Pictures circulating of the scene appear to show the suspect lying on the ground with a knife nearby.
GMP initially said it couldn’t be confirmed if the suspect had died “due to safety issues surround[ing] suspicious items on his person.” A bomb disposal unit was dispatched to the scene of the crime on account of the suspect wearing a “vest which had the appearance of an explosive device.” The authorities later confirmed the suspect was deceased, and have since determined that the “suspicious” vest was not viable.
One controlled explosion took place at the scene in order for responders to gain access to the suspect’s vehicle, GMP confirmed in a statement to TIME.
Police reported that “a large number of people” were at the synagogue for Yom Kippur, and thanked the member of the public who witnessed the violence for responding quickly. This “allowed swift action, and as a result the offender was prevented from entering the synagogue.”
A helicopter from the British Armed Force’s Special Air Service (SAS) was seen flying over the crime scene. The chopper, often referred to as “Blue Thunder,” is used by the military in counter-terrorism deployments.
The use of the helicopter is typically approved by government officials ahead of a COBRA meeting, which the U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other cabinet members held on Thursday afternoon.
COBRA meetings are described as “high-level co-ordination and decision making in the event of major or catastrophic emergencies,” by the British government.
British Armed Forces prepare a bomb disposal robot inside a cordon outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue on Oct. 2, 2025, in Manchester, England.Paul Currie—Getty Images
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemns the “vile” attack
“I’m appalled by the attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall [Greater Manchester]. The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” said Starmer, who left a meeting in Denmark early upon hearing of the incident on Thursday morning.
Starmer, who chaired an emergency COBRA meeting upon his return to London, has deployed “additional police assets” to synagogues across the country in light of the attack. “We will do everything we can to keep our Jewish community safe,” he said.
The Prime Minister held a press conference early Thursday evening in the U.K., during which he condemned the “vile” attack and told the British Jewish community that he would do “everything in [his] power to guarantee” they have the security they “deserve.”
“On behalf of our country, I express my solidarity, but also my sadness that you still have to live with these fears. Nobody should have to do that. Nobody,” Starmer said, addressing the community directly.
Starmer said the suspect “attacked Jews because they are Jews and attacked Britain because of our values.”
He went on to assure the public that there will be a more visible police presence on the streets of the U.K. as a result of the incident.
British royal family lead tributes in wake of attack
King Charles III said that himself and Queen Camilla are “deeply shocked and saddened” by the attack.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this appalling incident and we greatly appreciate the swift actions of the emergency services,” said the British monarchy in a statement shared with TIME.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have also said they are “thinking of” the Jewish community following the “shocking” incident.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and the families of the terrible attack at Heaton Park Synagogue. The fact that this tragedy occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more shocking,” read a statement from the royal couple. “We are thinking of the entire community as well as the emergency responders who attended this terrible incident.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country “grieves with the Jewish community in the U.K.” after the “barbaric terror attack.”
“Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded,” he said.
The Israeli embassy in the U.K. has also condemned the act of violence.
“That such an act of violence should be perpetrated on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, in a place of prayer and community, is abhorrent and deeply distressing,” read a statement from the embassy.
“Today we have witnessed a vile attack on our Jewish community on its holiest day,” said Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. “We condemn whoever is responsible and will do everything within our power to keep people safe.”
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said his party “stands with the Jewish community and everyone affected.”
Polanski, who is Jewish and grew up in Manchester, added: “So many of us are feeling the horrific scenes today that all come at a time of rising antisemitism.”
Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch called the attack “vile and disgusting,” stating that Jewish families attending the synagogue were “targets for violence.”
“My heart goes out to all those hurt and affected. I know many in our Jewish community will feel shaken. They deserve to know they are not alone,” she said.
The rise of antisemitic incidents in the U.K.
U.K.-based charity Community Security Trust (CST), which aims to “protect British Jews from terrorism and antisemitism,” recorded 1,521 antisemitic incidents across the U.K. between January and June this year.
It is the second-highest number of incidents recorded to date by CST, following a record number in the same period for 2024.
Across the entirety of 2024, CST recorded a total of 3,528 antisemitic incidents in the U.K., the second highest annual number recorded after 2023, in which 4,296 cases were reported.
Per the CST, antisemitic incidents have surged in recent years, particularly since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
The conflict in the Middle East has “continued to impact the volume and discourse of antisemitism reported to CST in the first six months of this year, as it has every month since October 2023,” CST said in its report.
There were over 293,000 Jewish people living in the United Kingdom when the last national census was conducted in March 2021.
Cases of antisemitism and hate crimes towards Jewish Americans have also surged in recent years.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that in the three months following the start of the Israel-Hamas war, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. skyrocketed by 361%.
According to the State of Antisemitism in America 2024 report, published in February 2025, 56% of American Jews said they altered their behavior out of fear of antisemitism in 2024. A notable increase from 46% in 2023 and 38% in 2022.
The killing of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in D.C. in May and the instance of a man shouting “free Palestine” while tossing Molotov cocktails at a pro-Israeli demonstration in Boulder, Co., in June has only led to increased concern for Jewish communities.
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