© Getty Images Police shot the attacker on the spot and neutralized the car bomb he was supposed to use for the attack.
On the day of one of the largest Jewish religious holidays, Yom Kippur , an attack on people occurred in the United Kingdom: in the early morning of October 2, 2025, a car drove into people near a synagogue in Manchester, after which a man attacked passersby with a knife. The event was classified as a terrorist incident. As a result, two members of the Jewish community died; the attacker was shot dead by armed police at the scene.
The Guardian writes about this on October 2.
According to witnesses, the attacker tried to enter the building by breaking windows and stabbing. Armed officers arrived quickly and opened fire after warnings. A bomb disposal team was also at the scene: an explosive device was found near the suspect, which led to a controlled detonation of the suspect’s car. Four injured people were taken to hospital, two of them in serious condition.
Investigators believe the suspect has been identified, but his name is not being released publicly at this stage – possible accomplices are being sought.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer rushed back from a summit of European leaders in Copenhagen to convene an emergency meeting of the COBRA committee to coordinate the government’s response. The government announced increased security at synagogues and other Jewish places of worship across the country, with local and national police increasing their presence at key locations.
Political leaders from the UK’s main parties expressed their condolences and condemned the violence. The Bishop of Manchester called for hate speech not to be allowed to trump the humanity of society and stressed the need for responsible public discourse. Former counter-terrorism coordinators noted that religious holidays (in particular Yom Kippur) traditionally raise security concerns, so increased security on such days is an important practice.
The Prince and Princess of Wales issued a joint statement expressing their condolences to the families of the deceased and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
As a reminder, German prosecutors reported in July that a Danish citizen had been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran, aimed at collecting information about Jewish sites and Jews in Berlin.
Prosecutors said the man, whom they named only Ali S. in accordance with German data protection law, spied on three sites in June 2025 with the aim of preparing further intelligence activities, including possible terrorist attacks on Jewish sites.