British police confirmed on Thursday that an incident occurred in the north of Manchester, England, where a car was driven at members of the public and a man was stabbed outside a synagogue, resulting in four people being injured. Greater Manchester Police responded to a call at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall after a witness reported the car driving towards the public and a stabbing incident. Following the report, officers fired shots, injuring one man suspected to be the perpetrator.
The injured individuals, affected by both the vehicle and stab wounds, were receiving medical attention, with the severity of their injuries not immediately disclosed. Mayor Andy Burnham stated that the immediate threat seemed to have subsided. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was in Copenhagen for a summit, expressed his gratitude to first responders and extended his condolences to the victims and their families. Starmer condemned the attack on the synagogue in Crumpsall, emphasizing the added horror due to it occurring on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Starmer is returning from the summit to lead a government emergency committee meeting, COBRA. Dave Rich from the Community Security Trust highlighted the significance of Yom Kippur in the Jewish faith, emphasizing the heightened security measures typically in place during major Jewish festivals. The incident in Manchester is a grim reminder of the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that claimed 22 lives.
