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Two people were killed and three others critically injured on Thursday in a car-ramming and stabbing outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Police later shot dead a man believed to be the attacker.
Greater Manchester Police responded at approximately 9:31 a.m. local time to reports of a vehicle being driven toward pedestrians outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, where a man was also stabbed.
Armed officers deployed to the scene shot a man believed to be the suspect.
Two people died in the attack, while three other members of the public remain in serious condition, according to Greater Manchester Police.
Paramedics arrived at 9:41 a.m. and treated victims who sustained a combination of stab wounds and vehicle-related injuries. One of the injured is believed to be a security guard.
"One man has been shot, believed to be the offender," police said in a statement.
"Three other members of the public remain in a serious condition. A large number of people worshipping at the synagogue at the time of the incident were held inside while the immediate area was made safe, but have since been evacuated," the statement added.
The force declared a "major incident" and activated Operation Plato, the national protocol used when officers suspect a marauding terror attack scenario. However, authorities have not officially declared the incident as terrorism.
Laurence Taylor, assistant commissioner in counterterrorism policing at the Metropolitan Police, said the attack had been declared a "terrorist incident." He also confirmed that two people had been arrested in connection with the attack.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester that the immediate danger appeared to have passed. "A degree of reassurance can be given that it's not a developing, an ongoing, incident," Burnham said, describing it as "a serious incident."
A large number of worshippers inside the synagogue at the time were initially held inside while the immediate area was secured, but have since been evacuated.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, attending the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, cut his trip short to return to the United Kingdom and chair an emergency Cabinet meeting.
"I'm appalled by the attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall. The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific," Starmer said on social media platform X.
"My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders."
Starmer announced increased security measures across the country. "I'm already able to say that additional police assets are being deployed to synagogues across the country and we will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe," he said before boarding his flight from Denmark.
Investigators from counterterrorism units and MI5 have joined the inquiry. Authorities urged the public to stay clear of the area and allow emergency services to work.
Manchester was previously the site of Britain's deadliest attack in recent years—the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that killed 22 people.
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