Photo: AFP / Paul Currie
Two men were killed when a man drove a car into pedestrians and stabbed a security guard in an attack at a synagogue where worshippers were marking Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, British police say.
Greater Manchester Police said the man was believed to be Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent.
The attack happened on Thursday (UK time) at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall district of Manchester in northern England.
The suspect, who was wearing what appeared to be a vest with an explosive device, was shot dead at the scene by armed officers.
A bomb disposal unit was later called to the scene, but police confirmed the device that the suspect was wearing was not viable.
Police said they were working to understand the motivation behind the attack, and said they could find no records that the suspect had been referred previously to the country's counter-radicalisation scheme, Prevent.
Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, Laurence Taylor, said it had been declared a terrorist incident.
Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have been arrested on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism.
"Communities across the UK who would normally be marking this holy day are now grieving, and worried about their safety," Taylor told reporters. "I want to be clear: UK policing is mobilising. And mobilising fast."
Three others in serious condition
As well as the suspect and two members of the public who were confirmed dead, three other people were in hospital in a serious condition.
Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries. One sustained a stab wound and a second was struck by the car involved in the attack.
The third man later presented himself at hospital with an injury that may have been sustained as officers stopped the attacker.
After the attack, police were seen ushering about 30 mostly Jewish elderly men - some in tears, many looking shocked - and some young children away from the synagogue. Some were wearing white robes, others were in suits and wearing a skullcap.
"Thanks to the immediate bravery of security staff and the worshippers inside, as well as the fast response of police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access," said Greater Manchester Police's Chief Constable Stephen Watson.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Chief Constable Stephen Watson provides an update to media after the attack. Photo: AFP / Paul Currie
NZ Jewish Council expresses solidarity
The Zealand Jewish Council has expressed its sorrow and solidarity with the Jewish community in Manchester over the synagogue attack.
Spokesperson Ben Kepes said antisemitism had risen exponentially over the last two years, "often using the Gaza war as a justification".
"It should not need to be said that Jews should never be attacked for attending synagogue or participating in Jewish life, regardless of world events."
Kepes said the Jewish community should not have to live in fear of violence or intimidation, nor should antisemitism be treated as a "lesser form of hate or as political protest".
The council was committed to combating antisemitism in all its forms and to advocating for a society where Jewish communities could live openly, safely, and with dignity.
The council urged all New Zealanders to join the Jewish community in rejecting this hate.
Luxon sends condolences, considers more security
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo: MARIKA KHABAZI / RNZ
Speaking in Auckland, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he sent his condolences to those in the United Kingdom left reeling after the deadly terror attack.
"I have sent through my thoughts to [British prime minister] Keir Starmer, just acknowledging the difficulty... and the loss that people will be feeling in the UK at the moment."
Luxon said New Zealand's agencies were assessing whether more security was needed at Jewish sites here.
He said he had met with both Jewish and Muslim communities over the past 12 months to ensure there are support and security around their sites.
"The good news is that in New Zealand we haven't seen the domestic tensions that we've seen in other countries," Luxon said.
"That's in part a testament to the two communities - and other communities - that have actually worked in a very good way together and shown respect to each other."
Starmer promises tighter security
Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the country must defeat rising antisemitic hate.
Sir Keir Starmer speaks to media in Copenhangen after the attack. Photo: AFP / Pool / Suzanne Plunkett
Antisemitism has soared to record levels in Britain since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel and Israel's subsequent war in Gaza.
Starmer, who rushed away early from a European summit in Copenhagen to chair an emergency meeting in London, promised to do everything he could to provide security to the Jewish community and deployed more police to synagogues.
"We must be clear, it is a hatred that is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again," he said.
"To every Jewish person in this country, I also want to say this: I know how much fear you will be holding inside of you, I really do. And so on behalf of our country, I express my solidarity, but also my sadness that you still have to live with these fears."
But Gideon Saar, the foreign minister of Israel, which has criticised Britain for its recent decision to recognise a Palestinian state, said authorities had failed to curb antisemitism and "effectively allowed it to persist".
"The truth must be told: blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses," Saar said on X.
"We expect more than words from the Starmer government."
-Reuters / RNZ
