Apologies that I am late with this; I have been out all day.
The killings outside a Manchester synagogue have been declared a terror attack.
A man was shot dead by police moments after he targetted worshippers at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester shortly before 9:30am.
Two people were killed and three others seriously injured in the car and knife attack, which took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police said two people have been arrested over the attack
Head of counter terrorism policing, assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “Based on what we know, counter terrorism policing has declared this as a terrorist incident. We have also made two further arrests.”
A photograph earlier emerged of the terrorist wearing what appears to be a bullet proof vest and a possible bomb. It is not clear if the device strapped to him was a viable explosive device but a bomb disposal unit was sent to the scene.
Two firearms officers were seen on social media footage surrounding a man on the ground, shouting at members of the public to “get back, he has got a bomb”. Moments later, the terrorist attempted to get to his feet before officers shouted a warning and gun shots rang out.
A former national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing has said he is “not surprised” about the attack at the synagogue on Yom Kippur, because holy days “bring an additional element of concern”.
Nick Aldworth told BBC Radio 4: “I’m not surprised that it’s happened. Yesterday, when I was driving home, there was a feature on Radio 4, which mentioned that today was Yom Kippur – I’d forgotten. My immediate thought was ‘oh, gosh, I hope nothing awful happens’.
“And the reason I say that is because, for years, we’ve recognised that high holy days bring an additional element of concern to the Jewish community and to those of us who have been tasked with protecting those communities. And certainly in London I used to be responsible for a massive operation, probably the second biggest operation to New Year’s or Notting Hill Carnival, to actually protect those communities across the high holy day period. So I know the same is reflected in Manchester, which may well account for why there’s been such a quick response up there today. But no, I’m not surprised.”
British Muslim Trust warns against ‘exploiting this violence’ The British Muslim Trust described the attack as “despicable” and “cowardly”, as it warned of potential retaliatory acts.
The trust, a Government-funded organisation monitoring incidents of anti-Muslim hate, warned no-one should be allowed to “exploit this violence to deepen the division they seek”.
From the Manchester Evening News
Mobile phone footage has revealed the moment armed police surrounded a man outside a synagogue in north Manchester on Thursday (October 2).
Armed police shot a suspect following the incident outside Heaton Park synagogue, on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, at around 9.30am today. It’s understood he has died.
Firearms officers were deployed after reports a security guard was stabbed. A total of five people so far are confirmed to have been injured in the incident, either by the car driven at people or by the stabbing.
Two members of the public have since died. Three others are in a critical condition, police have confirmed.
From Sky News Suspect shot within seven minutes of first call, police say
Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson is now speaking in Crumpsall. He says his thoughts and those of his officers and staff are with the families of those affected by today’s “horrific incident”.
“We believe that the identity of the offender has been established, but until we are certain of this fact, it is premature to set out this detail at this juncture.”
Sir Stephen confirms that two members of Greater Manchester’s Jewish community have died as a result of the attack.
“Following a rapid response, armed officers from Greater Manchester Police intercepted the offender and he was fatally shot by officers within seven minutes of the original call.”
He says the suspect drove his car into members of the public outside the synagogue before attacking people with a knife.
“There were a large number of worshippers attending the synagogue at the time of this attack, but thanks to the immediate bravery of security staff and the worshippers inside, as well as the fast response of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access.”
He adds that some people injured in the attack remain in hospital and their treatment is ongoing.
The Manchester synagogue attack is where anti-Semitism inevitably leads
It is the day many British Jews have been dreading.
We hoped it would not happen but have had a stomach-churning feeling that this was where it would all lead.
A violent racist has murdered Jews in a terrorist attack outside a synagogue in Manchester. The attack has taken place on the holiest day of the year for Jews, Yom Kippur. The fear and horror experienced by the community today is profound.
We do not yet know the identity of the attacker but it seems without question that his motivation was anti-Semitism. Ultimately, terrorists are responsible for terror. But there is a background to this attack that many Jews have been consistently warning about over the last two years.
Since the October 7 pogrom in Israel, anti-Semitism has been allowed to grow largely unchecked in our society. Those in positions of authority have simply not done enough. On marches, people have been allowed to display virulently anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist signs without consequence. Jews have experienced racism in the NHS, at schools and universities, in the workplace and outside their places of worship.
This has formed a steady, ever-louder drumbeat of Jew-hate. Anti-Semitism has become normalised, the only acceptable form of racism. It is in this kind of toxic social petri-dish that those with violent intent gain the confidence and belief to act out their murderous and racist fantasies.
The anti-Semitism that Jewish people have been experiencing has led a growing number of Jews to question whether there is a future for their families in Britain. Not for the first time in Jewish history, the question they have been asking is where in the world they can feel safe,
For the Jewish community, we must stand strong. We must continue to show pride in who we are and what we contribute to British society. We should not leave. We should not run. This is our country too and we should no longer tolerate the failure of those in positions of power to stamp out Jew-hate on British soil.
