Attack That Killed 2 Outside U.K. Synagogue Was Terrorism, Two killed in attack near Manchester synagogue, suspect shot by UK police

Attack That Killed 2 Outside U.K. Synagogue Was Terrorism, Two killed in attack near Manchester synagogue, suspect shot by UK police

The stabbing attack in Manchester, England, happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The police said the assailant died after being shot by officers.

An attack that killed two people outside a synagogue in Manchester, in northwestern England, has been declared a terrorist incident, Britain’s counterterrorism police said on Thursday.

The vehicle ramming and stabbing attack, which took place on the morning of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, injured three others, who were in serious condition on Thursday afternoon, the police said.

They said that the attacker had been shot and killed by the police and that because of “suspicious items on his person,” a bomb squad had been called to the scene. The police also said that they had arrested two people in connection with the assault.

The attack occurred in an area of Manchester that is home to many Orthodox Jews and came at a time of heightened fears in the Jewish community as tensions persist over the two-year-old war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The police said in a statement that a large number of people were worshiping at the synagogue, Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, at the time of the attack. They were held inside while the immediate area was made safe but have since been evacuated, it said. According to the synagogue’s website, morning prayers had begun at 9 a.m., just over a half-hour before the police received the first report of the attack.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that he was “appalled” by the attack and that “the fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.”

The police said the suspect had not gained access to the synagogue, and they had not confirmed whether he was carrying a bomb.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, told the BBC that the police had responded swiftly and had apparently shot the suspect within seven minutes of the first reports.

The Jewish community has “seen rising incidents of antisemitism over recent times,” Mr. Burnham said, “and have been living with a higher state of anxiety because of the times that we’re living in.”

Two killed in attack near Manchester synagogue, suspect shot by UK police

Here’s what else to know:

Video footage: Footage taken by a witness and posted on Facebook showed two armed police officers with their rifles aimed at the suspected attacker on the ground outside the synagogue. In the video, which was verified by The New York Times, one of the officers is seen telling people at the synagogue gates to move back, shouting: “He has a bomb, go away.” Moments later, the suspected attacker appeared to be trying to get up and the police fired at least one shot. The man fell back to the ground.

Security: Security was rapidly increased at other hubs of Jewish life in Britain, including outside one of London’s largest Jewish community centers, JW3, where a large police presence stood at its gates on Thursday afternoon. Mayor Sadiq Khan of London said the city’s Metropolitan Police service will be “stepping up high visibility policing in and around synagogues in London.”

Reactions: Reaction to the attack came from across the political spectrum in Britain. Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, said she was “horrified by the news.” Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, the main opposition in Parliament, called it a “vile and disgusting attack.”

Starmer: Mr. Starmer flew home early from a conference of European leaders in Copenhagen to chair a government committee that handles matters of national emergency. The group known as COBRA, for Cabinet Office Briefing Room A, will convene Thursday afternoon.

Jewish community: According to census figures, about 30,000 Jewish people live in Manchester, the largest number in the United Kingdom outside of London. The Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation is in Crumpsall, north of the center of Manchester, one of the largest cities in Britain.