Two people were reportedly killed and three others injured as a man attacked a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Thursday.
A car drove into a crowd of people, and a security guard was stabbed outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. Greater Manchester Police arrived on the scene after a witness reported “a car being driven towards members of the public” and a person being stabbed. Police identified “injuries caused by both the vehicle and stab wounds.”
The attack began at 9:31 a.m. local time, about a half hour after services commenced at the synagogue. The incident happened on Yom Kippur, which is considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Law enforcement officers categorized the incident as a “marauding terror attack” using the codeword “Plato” to classify such emergency incidents. The suspect was shot by local police officers and is believed to be dead.
“It’s a serious incident, I have to say,” said Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to BBC News. “I would say to people to avoid the area, because it’s a serious incident, but at the same time, I can give some reassurance that the immediate danger appears to be over.”
“It is believed that the offender is deceased, although it’s not confirmed,” added Burnham.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer commented on the attack. He was at a summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, when he received news of the incident. Starmer said he was returning to the United Kingdom.
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“The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” said Starmer. “My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders.”
Starmer announced that extra law enforcement officers would be assigned to synagogues near the attack in Manchester.
