Two killed, three injured in stabbing and car ramming outside synagogue in UK
At least two people were killed and three others seriously injured in a combined car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in Manchester, northern England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The news agency ANI reported the incident, citing CNN.
The attack took place in Crumpsall, north of Manchester city center, when a car was deliberately driven at members of the public and a man was stabbed. Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the suspected attacker is believed to have died after being shot by armed officers.
“Police were called to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, on Middleton Road, Crumpsall, at 9:31 am by a member of the public, stating he had witnessed a car being driven towards members of the public, and one man had been stabbed,” the police said in a statement, as reported by ANI.
Paramedics arrived soon after the attack, and worshippers inside the synagogue at the time were safely evacuated, CNN reported.
Yom Kippur is a day when synagogues are particularly busy, as practicing Jews conduct services, pray introspectively, and reflect on the past year. The attack on such a significant day has shocked the community and the nation.
Following the incident, Greater Manchester Police declared PLATO, a national code used when armed officers are deployed in response to an ongoing threat, according to ANI.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that “additional police assets” will be deployed at synagogues across the country. He expressed his condolences on social media platform X, stating, “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific. My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected.”
Starmer will cut short his trip to Copenhagen, where he was attending a European security meeting, to return to the UK and chair a session of the government’s COBRA committee—a cross-departmental group convened during national emergencies.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham urged the public to avoid the area and expressed sympathy for the Jewish community. “Obviously, what we would all want to recognise is how people in our Jewish community will be feeling right now,” he said. He added, “I can only imagine how people are feeling when they hear this news, the fear that that will bring.”
In response to the attack, four local hospitals have reportedly been placed on lockdown.
(With ANI inputs)
https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/uk-synagogue-attack-2-killed-3-injured-in-stabbing-and-car-ramming-in-manchester-on-yom-kippur-23596899
