What to know about the attack at a synagogue in England on Yom Kippur

LONDON (AP) — A man drove a car into people and stabbed them outside a synagogue in northwest England on the holiest day of the Jewish year.

Two people were killed and at least three were hurt in the attack Thursday at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Manchester area. The attacker was shot and killed by police, who called his actions a terrorist attack.

Here’s what to know:

The early response

Police were called to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, in Crumpsall, a suburb in the north of Manchester, shortly after 9:30 a.m. by a member of the public. They were on the scene within minutes and the incident was contained swiftly. Police praised the “quick response” of the witness as well as the “bravery” of security personnel and those inside the synagogue for helping to prevent the suspect from entering the synagogue.

The victims

Greater Manchester Police said the two people who died were Jewish and authorities were working to formally identify them.

Three people were hospitalized in serious condition, officials said. One person sustained a stab wound while a second was struck by the car driven by the attacker. A third person arrived at a hospital with an injury that may have been sustained as officers stopped the attacker. The injuries and condition of a fourth person taken to the hospital were not available.

The suspect

Police said the suspect was killed after being shot by firearms officers, just seven minutes after they had been called to the incident at the synagogue. Late Thursday, police said they believed the man responsible for the attack was a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent named Jihad Al-Shamie. An initial check of records showed he was not part of a U.K. counterterror program that tries to identify people at risk for being radicalized.

Confirmation of his death was initially delayed because “suspicious items on his person” had the look of an explosive device. Police later said he did not have a bomb.

Police also said three other people — two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s — have been arrested on suspicion of committing acts of terrorism.

Act of terrorism

Around six hours after the incident, the Metropolitan Police in London, which leads counterterror policing operations across the U.K., confirmed that the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said police forces across the country are stepping up patrols at synagogues and other Jewish sites “to provide reassurance to all those communities who have been affected by this incident.”

Motive unknown

Police said they are still working to determine the motive behind the attack. But it took place on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. Synagogues are filled with people on the holy day.

Government response

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer returned early from a summit of European leaders in Copenhagen, Denmark, to London where he chaired an emergency security meeting. Afterward, he condemned the “vile individual” for attacking Jews “because they are Jews.” He also promised that he would do everything in his power to guarantee the security of the Jewish population, “starting with a more visible police presence.”

Jewish community’s reaction

The Jewish community expressed shock and the Israeli Embassy in London condemned the incident, describing it as “abhorrent and deeply distressing.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences to the families of those killed and his prayers that the wounded have a swift recovery. He said that “weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it.”

King’s shock

King Charles III said he and his wife, Queen Camilla, were “deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the horrific attack in Manchester, especially on such a significant day for the Jewish community.”

Rising antisemitism

The U.K. has traditionally been a safe area for Jewish people though antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have soared following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, according to the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism in the U.K. More than 1,500 incidents were reported in the first half of the year, the second-highest reported since the record set a year earlier. Starmer acknowledged that antisemitism is “a hatred that is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again.”