Manchester synagogue Attack: Police Extend Detention of Suspects
Following a terror attack on Thursday at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, police have been granted warrants to further detain four suspects until Wednesday.The attack, occurring on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, resulted in the deaths of Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53. Several others were seriously injured.
The attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, was shot dead by armed officers. Police believe Daulby was killed by a stray gunshot wound during the confrontation. Initial fears that Shamie was wearing an explosive device proved unfounded; it was later confirmed to be a fake. Authorities state Shamie may have been “influenced by extreme Islamist ideology,” but “establishing the full circumstances of the attack is likely to take some time.”
The Guardian reported that Shamie was on police bail for an alleged rape at the time of the attack.
Four additional individuals - a 30-year-old man, a 32-year-old man, a 61-year-old woman (all arrested in Prestwich, near Bury), and a 46-year-old woman (arrested in Farnworth, near Bolton) – are now being held under extended detention warrants.Two further suspects, an 18-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man, both arrested in Farnworth, remain in custody for questioning. A notable police presence remained outside a property in Farnworth throughout Saturday, with neighbours reporting the activity was connected to the synagogue attack.
Under terrorism legislation,suspects can be held for up to 14 days with court approval,exceeding the usual 24-hour limit. The examination is being led by counter Terrorism Policing North West, with support from the national counter-terrorism policing network and local officers.
Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch visited the scene of the attack on Saturday, prior to her party’s annual conference in Manchester. Badenoch called for increased security for the UK’s Jewish population, stating, ”Jewish people right now are telling me that they are leaving to go to israel. Israel is at war. How can people be leaving the UK to go to a war zone and think that they’ll be safer there? We need to bring back safety to our streets.” She also emphasized the need to address rising antisemitism,noting it has increased as the October 7 attacks almost two years ago,and questioned where the “responsibility” lies to ensure equal treatment and prevent intimidation. Badenoch added that “quite a lot needs to happen” to combat antisemitism.
