(TJV NEWS) An Islamist terrorist launched a deadly assault on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on Thursday morning, killing two people and leaving at least three others seriously injured, according to Greater Manchester Police.

Jihad Al-Shamie,  a British Citizen of Syrian background, allegedly carried out the carnage at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester.

The attack occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when synagogues across Britain were filled with worshippers. The assailant, wearing what appeared to be a bulletproof vest and a possible suicide belt, rammed his car into congregants before exiting with a knife and stabbing multiple victims.

The Telegraph reported that armed police confronted the attacker moments after he attempted to storm the synagogue gates. Video circulating online shows officers shouting at him to stay down, warning bystanders that he “has got a bomb.” When the suspect tried to rise, officers opened fire, killing him at the scene. Bomb disposal units and the military were later deployed amid fears of an explosive device.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed they had declared “Plato,” the national emergency code for a marauding terror attack, underscoring the severity of the situation. Hospitals in the area were briefly placed on lockdown as emergency services treated the wounded.

Echoes of Past Islamist Attacks

The Telegraph noted that the tactics mirrored previous Islamist-inspired atrocities, including the London Bridge and Westminster attacks in 2017, in which terrorists used vehicles, knives, and fake suicide vests to maximize fear and casualties. Thursday’s attack bore chilling similarities, with the assailant both ramming victims and attempting to storm a house of worship.

Eyewitness Accounts and Community Response

Eyewitnesses described scenes of terror. A woman told the BBC she saw the car “drive straight for members of the public” before the man “went on a rampage” with a knife. Another neighbor said the attacker “started stabbing anyone near him” after crashing into the synagogue gates.

A synagogue security guard was among those critically wounded, according to reports. Rabbi Daniel Walker, pictured with blood on his robe after helping lead worshippers to safety, was praised as a hero by congregants.

The Telegraph also reported that the Community Security Trust (CST), Britain’s main Jewish security organization, confirmed that swift intervention by synagogue staff and police prevented even greater bloodshed.

National and International Reactions

Political and religious leaders denounced the atrocity. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer cut short his trip to Denmark to chair an emergency Cobra meeting, announcing the deployment of “additional police assets” to synagogues across the UK. He called the attack “absolutely shocking.”

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham condemned it as a “vile attack on the Jewish community on its holiest day,” while London Mayor Sadiq Khan ordered stepped-up patrols around the capital’s synagogues.

The Israeli Embassy in London called the act “abhorrent and deeply distressing,” stressing that Jewish communities in Britain must be protected. King Charles also issued a statement saying he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the massacre.

Meanwhile, a local mosque issued a strong condemnation, with its imam stressing solidarity with Manchester’s Jewish community: “There is no room for violence or hate in Manchester — only unity, peace, and respect for one another.”

Rising Antisemitism and Fear

The assault comes amid a surge in antisemitic incidents in Britain, with more than 1,500 recorded in the first half of 2025 alone. Community leaders warned such an attack was “a matter of time” given the climate of hostility since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza.

A shaken Jewish man at the scene told reporters: “It is the holiest day of the year and we get this. There is no place for Jews in Britain anymore. It’s over.”

The Telegraph emphasized that the fear generated by this attack will reverberate across the UK’s Jewish community for months, if not years.