Two people have been killed and three injured in an car and knife attack on a synagogue in UK’s Manchester on Thursday morning. The suspected terrorist attack unfolded outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester. The assault, which combined a vehicle ramming with knife attacks, occurred during Yom Kippur services, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police were alerted at 9:31 a.m. local time to reports of a car being driven into pedestrians outside the synagogue on Middleton Road, followed by a man exiting the vehicle and stabbing members of the public, including a security guard. Police officers arrived at the scene within minutes and shots were fired at the suspect, who is believed to have died at the scene. A bomb disposal unit was deployed due to “suspicious items” found on the assailant, complicating initial confirmation of his condition.
? Jewish Life in 2025, UK ?
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) October 2, 2025
On the holiest day of the Jewish calendar — Yom Kippur — worshippers were rammed by a car and stabbed outside a Manchester synagogue.
An elderly Jewish man lay dying in his own blood on the pavement, alone.
This is not 1942. This is Keir… pic.twitter.com/tcANNzlh4K
The victims included worshippers en route to or arriving at the synagogue for Yom Kippur observances, a day marked by fasting, prayer, and atonement. The police confirmed the two fatalities among the public, with three others hospitalized in serious condition from injuries sustained in the ramming and stabbings. Dozens of synagogue attendees were safely evacuated after being held inside during the initial response.
While the identity of the attacker has not been revealed, based on his photograph from the incident, it is being claimed that he is a migrant Muslim.
This is the terrorist who attacked a security guard and stabbed several others outside a Manchester synagogue today. Diversity is Britain’s greatest strength. pic.twitter.com/wP2ftQT6Pn
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 2, 2025
The incident has been declared a major event under Operation Plato, the UK’s protocol for major terrorist attacks, underscoring the rapid escalation and fears of broader threats. Authorities are investigating it as a potential anti-Semitic terror incident amid a rise in antisemitic incidents in the UK since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, cutting short a trip to Copenhagen for a European leaders’ summit, described the attack as “appalling” and announced the deployment of additional police to synagogues nationwide. He is chairing an emergency COBRA meeting in London this afternoon to coordinate the response. “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur… makes it all the more horrific,” Starmer said, extending thanks to first responders.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed being “deeply shocked and saddened,” particularly given the attack’s timing on a “significant day for the Jewish community.” Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham called it a “serious incident,” urging the public to avoid the area while praising the swift actions of emergency services. Police cordons remain in place along Middleton Road, with armed officers, fire crews, ambulances, and a helicopter on site. Four local hospitals were briefly placed on lockdown.
Security has been bolstered at Jewish sites across the country, including in London, where Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed increased patrols.
