At least two people have been killed and three others seriously injured after a man drove a vehicle into pedestrians and launched a stabbing attack outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the suspected attacker, who was shot by armed officers within minutes of the incident beginning, is “believed to be deceased” but his death cannot yet be confirmed due to “suspicious items on his person.” Bomb disposal units have been deployed to the scene at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester.
The attack occurred at approximately 9:30am BST on Thursday morning as worshippers gathered for Yom Kippur services. Police declared both a major incident and activated PLATO protocols – indicating the incident was being treated as a potential marauding terrorist attack.
Swift Police Response
According to Greater Manchester Police, officers were called to the synagogue at 9:31am by a member of the public who reported witnessing “a car being driven towards members of the public” and that “one man had been stabbed.”
Armed firearms officers were deployed within three minutes, arriving at 9:34am as police received further reports that a security guard had been attacked with a knife. At 9:37am, police declared both a major incident and PLATO – the national code word used when armed officers are deployed across the force to respond to a terrorist attack.
Shots were fired by Greater Manchester Police firearms officers at 9:38am, just seven minutes after the initial emergency call. Paramedics arrived at 9:41am and began treating four members of the public with injuries caused by both the vehicle and stab wounds.
Prime Minister Returns from Summit
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was attending a European security summit in Copenhagen, immediately announced he would return to the UK to chair an emergency COBRA meeting – the government’s crisis response committee.
“I’m appalled by the horrific attack on the Jewish community at a synagogue in Manchester,” Starmer said in a statement. “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.”
The Prime Minister confirmed that “additional police assets are being deployed to synagogues across the country” and pledged: “We will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe.”
Community in Shock
The attack struck at the heart of Manchester’s Jewish community in Crumpsall, an area known for its significant Jewish population. Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is when synagogues are typically at their busiest, with worshippers gathering for day-long services of prayer and introspection.
Dave Rich of the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that monitors antisemitism in the UK, explained that Yom Kippur “is similar to Christmas Day for Christians, but is a day of solemnity and fasting rather than celebration.”
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, told BBC Radio Manchester that whilst the suspected attacker was believed to be deceased, this information could not yet be confirmed. He said “a degree of reassurance can be given that it’s not a developing, an ongoing, incident.”
“Obviously what we would all want to recognise is how people in our Jewish community will be feeling right now,” Burnham added, urging the public to avoid the area whilst emergency services continued their work.
Eyewitness Footage
Video footage shared on social media appeared to show armed police officers in black combat fatigues pointing weapons at a person lying on the ground outside the synagogue’s entrance. Officers could be heard shouting at onlookers to “get back” and “move on.”
The footage showed the person on the ground beginning to get up before the sound of a gunshot, after which they fell back to the ground. Another person was visible lying motionless near the synagogue gates with blood visible near their head, according to reports from PA Media.
Bomb Disposal Teams Deployed
The presence of suspicious items on the suspected attacker’s person has complicated the police response. Greater Manchester Police stated: “The bomb disposal unit has been called and is now at the scene.”
A large cordon remains in place around the synagogue, with armed officers maintaining a significant presence in the area. Members of the public have been urged to avoid Middleton Road and the surrounding streets.
National Security Response
The incident has triggered a nationwide security response, with increased police presence at synagogues across the country. The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions globally following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel last year and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The Northwest Ambulance Service confirmed it had declared a major incident and was “assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services.”
Investigation Ongoing
Greater Manchester Police praised the quick response of the member of the public who first alerted them to the attack, stating: “We are grateful to the member of the public whose quick response to what they witnessed allowed our swift action.”
The force added: “We know today’s horrifying attack, on the Jewish community’s holiest day, will have caused significant shock and fear throughout all of our communities.”
Three victims remain in serious condition in hospital, whilst a large number of worshippers who were inside the synagogue at the time were initially held in place for their safety before being evacuated once the immediate area was secured.
The Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue had listed special Yom Kippur services for both Wednesday and Thursday evenings on its website. The attack represents one of the most serious incidents targeting the Jewish community in Britain in recent years.
As the investigation continues and the community begins to process this shocking attack, questions will inevitably be asked about security measures and the ongoing threat to Jewish institutions across the UK.
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