UK police on Thursday identified the man behind the deadly stabbing outside a Manchester synagogue that left two people dead and three others injured in what authorities described as a terrorist attack.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed the attacker as Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a UK citizen of Syrian origin. He was shot dead by officers after ramming a car into worshippers outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall and then stabbing several people.
Three others remain in custody on terror-related charges. “We can confirm that three suspects are currently in custody on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. They are two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s,” police said in a statement.
The attack took place at 9:31 a.m. (0831 GMT) on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Paramedics treated four people for injuries from both the vehicle and stabbing, police said.
The incident has heightened tensions in the Jewish community and comes just days before the second anniversary of the Israel–Hamas war, which began on October 7, 2023.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the assault, calling it “all the more horrific” for taking place on Yom Kippur. “My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders,” he said on X.
King Charles III also expressed grief, saying he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the violence.
