2 Killed, 4 Seriously Injured in Terrorist Ramming and Stabbing Attack Outside UK Synagogue on Yom Kippur By The Media Line Staff Two worshippers were killed and four others seriously wounded in a terrorist attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The assailant […]
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The Media Line: 2 Killed, 4 Seriously Injured in Terrorist Ramming and Stabbing Attack Outside UK Synagogue on Yom Kippur
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2 Killed, 4 Seriously Injured in Terrorist Ramming and Stabbing Attack Outside UK Synagogue on Yom Kippur
By The Media Line Staff
Two worshippers were killed and four others seriously wounded in a terrorist attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The assailant rammed his car into congregants before stabbing them and attempting to break into the packed synagogue, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
The attacker was shot dead by police after officers reported he was wearing what appeared to be a suicide vest. Authorities initially delayed approaching him out of concern that he carried explosives, later confirming the device was not viable.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said that while many worshippers were inside the synagogue during the attack, the quick actions of security personnel, congregants, and police stopped the assailant from entering.
Witnesses described panic outside the synagogue. A nearby resident recounted seeing the car smash into the synagogue gates before the attacker got out and began stabbing people. According to the witness, he targeted the security guard and tried to force his way inside, but someone managed to barricade the door, leaving the community in shock. Other reports said Rabbi Daniel Walker was among those who helped secure the entrance.
Police later confirmed two additional suspects were arrested. Britain’s most senior counterterrorism officer, Laurence Taylor, said the incident was declared a terrorist attack and that investigators believe they know the attacker’s identity.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who cut short a European summit to return to London, called the assault “all the more horrific” because it took place on Yom Kippur and announced more officers would be deployed to synagogues across the UK. King Charles III and Queen Camilla said they were “deeply shocked and saddened.”
Israel’s embassy in London denounced the attack as “abhorrent and deeply distressing,” stressing the need to protect Jewish communities in Britain. President Herzog wrote on X: “Just a few days ago, I wrote a letter to His Majesty King Charles III, stressing my deep worry and concern over the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred in the UK, and in other Commonwealth countries, including Australia and Canada. Today’s tragic events have sadly demonstrated how real and tangible this threat is, and how imperative it is to act against it with full force and without compromise.”