Manchester synagogue terror attack: What we know so far in 4 points | World News

Members of the Jewish community comfort each other near to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025 after Police reported that two people were killed and three others were seriously injured in a synagogue attack in northern England. (Peter rne/PA via AP)

Two worshippers have been killed and four others left seriously injured after a terror attack outside a Manchester synagogue in the UK on the Jewish religious holiday of Yom Kippur, police confirmed.

Greater Manchester police said officers shot dead the suspect, who appeared to be wearing what looked like an explosive device, after he stabbed one person and drove a car at members of the public gathered at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall.
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The attack took place during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when the synagogue was especially busy.

Here is what we know so far about the terror attack

01What happened?At 9.31 am on Thursday, a member of the public called police after witnessing a car driven towards people and a man stabbed outside Heaton Park Shul, a synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where worshippers had gathered for Yom Kippur.
9.37 am, Greater Manchester police had declared a major incident under Operation Plato, the code for “marauding terror attacks.”
At 9.38 am, firearms officers shot a man believed to be the attacker. Paramedics arrived at 9.41am, treating four people for stab wounds and injuries caused the suspect’s vehicle. A bomb disposal team was later deployed.
afternoon, police confirmed two victims and the suspect had died. At a conference, Laurence Taylor, head of UK counter-terrorism policing, declared it a terror incident and confirmed two related arrests.
02Who is the suspect?A photo of the suspect circulated in the media, but no official details have been released. The head of UK counter-terrorism policing said authorities believe they know his identity but could not confirm due to “safety reasons at the scene.”
03Where did attack happened and why today?The attack occurred outside the gates of Heaton Park Shul, an Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogue founded in 1967 in Higher Crumpsall, north Manchester. Crumpsall and neighbouring Prestwich have one of the largest Jewish communities in northern England. The synagogue was especially busy for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, translates to “day of atonement.” It involves fasting and prayer as Jewish people seek spiritual closeness to God.
04What has been the reaction to the attack?Labour leader Keir Starmer said he was appalled and called the attack “all the more horrific” for happening on Yom Kippur, cutting short a trip to Denmark to return to the UK.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the “vile and disgusting” assault and the wider “rise in antisemitism” in Britain.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham vowed to stand with the Jewish community and pledged continued support.
Local MP Graham Stringer said “evil people” must not be allowed to divide communities, adding that relations between different groups in the area are generally strong.