A solemn day of prayer turned into horror in northern England on Thursday when a violent attack at a Manchester synagogue left two people dead and three others in serious condition.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed the assault took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, just after 9:30 a.m., as worshippers gathered to mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year.
Authorities said a man drove a car toward congregants before stabbing multiple victims. Firearms officers responded within minutes, and shots were fired. The suspect was struck and is believed to have died, though police said confirmation was delayed due to fears he may have been carrying explosives. Bomb disposal teams were called to the scene.
Police declared “Plato,” a national code for responding to marauding terror attacks, though they have not officially labeled the incident a terrorist act.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, cutting short his trip to a European summit in Denmark, condemned the violence as “horrific,” particularly given its timing. “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” he said, announcing that extra security forces would be deployed to synagogues across the country.
Dave Rich of the Community Security Trust, which works with police to safeguard Jewish communities, emphasized the heightened security typically in place during major religious holidays, calling the attack “a devastating violation of one of the most sacred days of the year.”
The Manchester assault comes in a city still scarred by the 2017 terrorist bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that killed 22 people. Thursday’s tragedy has once again shaken the city, renewing concerns about community safety and antisemitic violence in the U.K.