Two people were killed and three others seriously injured on Thursday when a man drove into a crowd and carried out a stabbing near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, police confirmed. The suspect was shot dead by officers at the scene.
Yom Kippur Targeted
The attack happened on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. Police said injuries were caused by both the vehicle and knife, and the incident was declared a major emergency with a “PLATO” designation, indicating a potential terrorist attack.
National Leaders Respond
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was in Denmark for a summit, said he was “appalled” by the attack and would return to the U.K. to chair an emergency COBRA meeting. He called the violence “all the more horrific” given its timing on Yom Kippur and pledged more police protection for synagogues.
Community and Global Reactions
London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his horror and announced stepped-up patrols across the capital. King Charles III and Queen Camilla said they were “deeply shocked and saddened,” while the Israeli Embassy condemned the violence as “abhorrent and deeply distressing.”
For more on this tragic story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.