Four people have been injured in a shocking car and stabbing attack at a synagogue in Manchester, with the suspect shot by armed police. The incident has raised serious concerns about community safety and security across the UK.
The attack happened around 09:31 BST outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester. Witnesses reported that a car was deliberately driven at passersby, and one man was stabbed during the assault. By 09:38, armed police had arrived and opened fire on the suspect, hitting him.
Greater Manchester Police declared a major incident and activated Operation Plato, a national protocol for suspected marauding terror attacks. Authorities confirmed that four people were wounded by both the vehicle and stabbing. They were taken to local hospitals, though their current conditions have not been revealed.
Mayor Andy Burnham said the “immediate danger appears to be over,” but stressed that it has not yet been confirmed whether the suspect has died. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was attending a summit in Copenhagen, cut short his trip to return to London. He is expected to chair a COBRA emergency meeting and has promised stronger police presence at synagogues across the UK to reassure Jewish communities.
The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when synagogues see large gatherings of worshippers. Authorities are examining whether anti-Semitic motives or terrorism were behind the assault. Bomb disposal teams were also deployed amid reports that the suspect might have carried an explosive device, though this has not been confirmed.
This attack has drawn comparisons to other violent incidents at places of worship in recent years. In a similar way, Italian police recently launched a crackdown on fraud in the cultural sector, raiding a Salvador Dali exhibition in Parma and seizing works suspected to be fake (read full report here). Both events, though unrelated, highlight how public trust and safety—whether at religious or cultural spaces—remain under threat.
Investigators are now working to determine if the Manchester synagogue attack was an isolated act or part of a larger plan. Police remain deployed around synagogues in Manchester and across the UK to ensure community safety while inquiries continue.
