MANCHESTER: Two people were killed and three others injured in a suspected terrorist attack outside a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday morning, coinciding with Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the attack began around 9:30 am when a man drove his car into pedestrians before stabbing at least one victim. Armed officers responded within minutes and fatally shot the suspect at the scene. Police confirmed the man was “believed to be dead” and immediately handed over the probe to the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, which has classified the assault as a terrorist incident.
Footage circulating on social media shows two armed officers aiming weapons at the suspect, who is seen crouching near a building. Multiple gunshots are heard before the man collapses. “He’s got bombs on him,” a bystander recording the video can be heard saying. At the scene, officers shouted warnings to the public, urging people to move back, adding, “He has a bomb, go away.”
Specialist teams, including bomb experts, are investigating whether the suspect was carrying explosives.
PM Keir Starmer Reacts
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as “absolutely shocking,” announcing he had cut short an official visit to Denmark to return to London for an emergency COBRA (Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms) meeting. Speaking to reporters, Starmer said: “This morning’s attack is shocking. Additional police will be deployed to synagogues across the country. We will do everything possible to keep our Jewish community safe.”
The investigation remains ongoing with a heightened security presence across Manchester and other UK cities.
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