By Evgenia Filimianova
The UK counterterrorism police have declared the attack at a synagogue in Manchester, northern England, on Oct. 2 a terrorist incident.
Two people were killed on Oct. 2 in a car ramming and knife attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said the attacker was shot dead by police.
“We believe we know their identity but for safety reasons at the scene, we are unable to confirm at this stage. Three other members of the public are in a serious condition,” he said. “Based on what we know, Counter Terrorism Policing has declared this as a terrorist incident.”
The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when worshippers traditionally spend the day fasting and in prayer.
In an update shortly after midday local time, Greater Manchester Police said that a large number of people were worshipping at the synagogue at the time of the incident. The worshippers were held inside while the immediate area was made safe, but they have since been evacuated, the police stated.
Taylor said police were mobilizing quickly, stepping up patrols at synagogues and other sites, and working with security services to gather intelligence. He urged the public to remain vigilant following the incident in Crumpsall.
Police Response
Greater Manchester Police said they were called at 9:31 a.m. to Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, three miles north of Manchester city center, after a member of the public reported that a car had been driven at people outside the building and that a man had been stabbed.
Minutes later, firearms officers were deployed as more calls came in reporting that a security guard had been attacked with a knife.
At 9:37 a.m., police declared PLATO, a code used nationally to signal a suspected terrorist attack. The protocol is a pre-arranged, nationwide response to marauding attacks, designed to bring rapid coordination between local and national agencies.
Police said that paramedics arrived at 9:41 a.m. and were treating casualties at the scene.
UK Leaders React
British political leaders have condemned the attack.
“I’m appalled by the attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall. The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X. “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 cut short his trip to a European leaders’ meeting in Denmark to chair an emergency response meeting in London following the incident.
Speaking before he flew back from Copenhagen, he said that “additional police assets are being deployed to synagogues across the country.” He vowed to “do everything” to keep the Jewish community in the UK safe.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was horrified by the news.
“My first thoughts are with the victims, our brave police and emergency services. I am being kept updated by Greater Manchester Police,” Mahmood said in a post on X. “I urge people to follow the advice of the emergency services.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the attack.
“On Yom Kippur–the holiest day of the Jewish year–families gathered in prayer were targets for violence,” Badenoch said in a post on X.
The Liberal Democrats and Reform UK issued statements expressing solidarity with the Jewish community.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney said that “antisemitism is an evil we must confront and stand resolutely against.”
Anti-Semitic Incidents
Following the attack, Starmer said he spoke with Mark Gardner, the chief executive of the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that monitors anti-Semitic incidents in the UK.
The trust said it is working with police and the local Jewish community following the attack.
In its report on anti-Semitic incidents across the UK in the first half of 2025, the organization recorded 1,521 incidents, the second-highest total ever reported to the charity for the first six months of any year.
This marks a 25 percent decrease compared with the 2,019 incidents recorded between January and June 2024, which was the highest figure ever reported to CST for that period.
While the 2025 total represents a fall from last year’s half-year record, the figure remains significant, CST said, adding it is driven by ongoing reactions to the conflict in the Middle East.
The charity noted that anti-Semitic incidents have been reported at an elevated rate since the Hamas terror attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Israeli Embassy in the UK condemned the attack and said it is in close contact with the Manchester Jewish community, British authorities, and the Community Security Trust to monitor developments and ensure that the necessary support is provided.
The British Muslim Trust, a body that provides confidential support and safe reporting for victims of anti‑Muslim hate across the UK, described the attack as “despicable” and “cowardly.”
“The British Muslim Trust stands with all victims of hate, and in particular today with the Jewish community, the people of Manchester and the Community Security Trust,” it said in a statement.
The organization added that Muslim and other communities should stay vigilant, support one another, and resist attempts to exploit the violence to sow division.
