Two people were killed and three others seriously injured after a man allegedly attacked worshippers with a car and a knife at a synagogue in Crumpsall, on the outskirts of Manchester, on Yom Kippur, police said.
Police said on X the attack happened when many people were in the synagogue. The suspect is also believed to have died, but officers cannot confirm that yet because they cannot go near him as there are “suspicious things” around him. A specialized unit is being deployed, police said.
Investigation
Police have cordoned off the area around the synagogue. Manchester police held a man at gunpoint on Thursday; he allegedly stabbed several people at a synagogue, the force said.
Officers are stepping up security at other synagogues in the United Kingdom, police and government sources said.
Reactions
The mayor urged people to avoid the area. “But at the same time I can immediately reassure people: the immediate danger seems to have passed,” he told BBC Radio.
Members of the Jewish community were seeking support from each other at the synagogue, just outside the area cordoned off by police.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is returning early from the informal EU summit in Copenhagen, said on X the attack happening on this very day “makes it all even more horrific.” He will be updated at an emergency meeting, and said just before leaving for London: “We are doing everything we can to keep our Jewish community safe.”
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla said they were “shocked and saddened” by the attack. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this terrible incident,” they said.
