A stabbing and ramming attack near a synagogue in Manchester, UK, has left at least two people injured on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, police say. Authorities are treating the incident as a potential terror-related act and have launched a full investigation.
The attack occurred in the Crumpsall area of North Manchester, a heavily Jewish neighborhood. The incident unfolded as worshippers were attending services for Yom Kippur, raising fears within the community and prompting an immediate security response. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the attack as “horrific,” stating, “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.”
Police responded to reports of a stabbing and subsequently a vehicle colliding with objects near the synagogue. Details remain fluid, but authorities have confirmed they are investigating the circumstances surrounding both incidents.
Labor Party leader Keir Starmer is returning early from a security meeting in Copenhagen to chair a meeting of the UK government’s Cobra emergency committee, according to PA Media. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has urged the public to avoid the area and acknowledged the fear the incident will cause within the Jewish community, saying, ”I can only imagine how people are feeling when they hear this news, the fear that that will bring.”
The investigation is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as they become available.
