Three people have been killed, including the attacker, in what police are treating as a terrorist incident at a synagogue in Manchester. The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
What we know so far:
- At 09:31 BST, police received reports of a car ramming into members of the public outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, North Manchester.
- A man, believed to be a security guard, was stabbed.
- By 09:37, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) declared a major incident.
- At 09:38, armed officers shot the suspect, who later died at the scene.
Eyewitness Gareth Tonge, a local delivery driver, described the moment:
βI saw a man bleeding out on the floor and another stabbing at windows, trying to get inside. Police arrived within seconds. They warned him, he didnβt listen, and they opened fire.β
The North West Ambulance Service confirmed a major emergency response with paramedics, police, and helicopters deployed. Worshippers inside the synagogue were held while the area was secured, before being evacuated.
At around 13:20, a controlled explosion was carried out near the police cordon.
Official responses:
- Greater Manchester Police confirmed three dead, including the suspect.
- The incident was declared under Operation Plato, the UKβs emergency protocol for marauding terrorist attacks.
- Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the βimmediate danger appears to be over.β
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced increased police patrols at synagogues nationwide, pledging: βWe will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe.β
Context:
Crumpsall, just 4 miles from Manchester city centre, is home to one of the cityβs largest Jewish communities. The attackβs timing, coinciding with Yom Kippur, has heightened its symbolic and traumatic impact.
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