Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The suspect was shot dead after killing two people on a car and knife rampage.
The suspect was shot dead after killing two people on a car and knife rampage.
What is happening?
What should have been a sacred day of reflection turned deadly when a man launched a terror attack outside the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
Worshippers had just gathered to observe Yom Kippur when the assailant, wearing a fake suicide vest, ploughed his car into a group and then began stabbing people.
The incident ended when armed police fatally shot the attacker just seven minutes after the first emergency calls.
Two worshippers killed in act of heroism
The two men killed were identified as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, both members of the local Jewish community in Crumpsall.
Reports suggest they were acting as volunteer security, trying to stop the attacker from entering the synagogue.
Their bravery likely prevented a much larger tragedy, as four others were injured in the attack.
Attacker named as British citizen
Greater Manchester Police identified the attacker as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent. He had entered the UK as a child and received citizenship in 2006.
Authorities confirmed Al-Shamie had no prior links to Prevent, the government’s counter-radicalisation programme.
Investigators are now examining any connections to extremist networks.
Reports suggest Hamas link
Though Hamas denied any involvement, Israeli officials suggested the Manchester attack may have been directed or inspired by the group.
The incident came just days after German police arrested suspected Hamas operatives planning a Yom Kippur attack in Berlin.
Israeli authorities said the UK had failed to stop the spread of extremist ideology.
Israeli Minister: UK has allowed anti-semitism to flourish
Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign affairs minister, issued a strong rebuke of the British government.
In a statement on X, he said anti-Semitic incitement had become “a widespread phenomenon” across Britain and accused authorities of allowing it to grow unchecked.
“We expect and demand a change of course,” he wrote.
Protests continue despite Synagogue attack
On the same day as the attack, pro-Palestinian protests were permitted to go ahead in London, Manchester and Leeds.
Outside Downing Street, scuffles broke out between demonstrators and police.
One protester was quoted telling The Telegraph, “I don’t give a f— about the Jewish community right now,” drawing widespread condemnation and deepening tensions.
Arrests and raids
Three people were arrested following the attack. Two men were taken into custody near the synagogue, and a woman in her 60s was arrested elsewhere on suspicion of terrorism offences.
Counter-terrorism police raided homes in nearby Prestwich, where a neighbour confirmed recognising the suspect and his distinctive car from media reports.
“He kept to himself”
Neighbours described Al-Shamie as a reclusive figure.
“He lived there 10 years, no wife or kids,” one woman said.
She recalled seeing him often in pyjamas and sandals, carrying shopping bags and working out in his garage.
“He never seemed to speak to anyone,” she added.
Attack echoes previous Islamist terror tactics
Security analysts noted the similarities between this attack and previous Islamic State-style assaults, including the 2017 London Bridge attack.
The combination of a vehicle used as a weapon followed by a knife attack suggests a lone-wolf terrorist acting on radical ideology, possibly inspired rather than directed by a group.
National security boosted
In response to the attack, synagogues across Manchester cancelled services and sent worshippers home.
Police increased armed patrols nationwide. Meanwhile, SAS forces circled the scene in a Blue Thunder helicopter as part of a rapid security operation.
Authorities stressed there was no immediate threat to the wider public but promised heightened vigilance.
Starmer and the King express solidarity
Prime Minister Keir Starmer cut short a trip to Denmark to chair an emergency Cobra meeting.
“Nobody should have to live in fear,” he told the Jewish community, promising more visible police protection.
King Charles issued a rare personal message, saying he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the “appalling incident.”
Netanyahu and UK Ministers call for stronger action
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Western leaders of appeasement.
“Weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism,” he warned.
UK Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch echoed concerns, blaming rising anti-Semitic rhetoric on exaggerated narratives about Israel.
She urged a “dialling down” of inflammatory speech to avoid fuelling violence.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
