The Manchester synagogue terror attacker has been named as Jihad Al-Shamie.
The 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent was shot dead by police moments after he targeted worshippers at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester shortly before 9:30am.
Two people were killed and three others seriously injured in the car and knife attack, which took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The suspect was shot within seven minutes of the first call to the emergency services and two people have since been arrested over the attack.
A neighbour of a house raided in Langley Crescent, Prestwich, which appears to be a council house, said she recognised its occupant from photographs of the synagogue attacker.
She told The Telegraph: “He lived there 10 years, with no wife or kids that I could see. He never seemed to speak to anyone around here.
“I recognised him from the pictures of the attacker. I recognised his little car, the Kia, because he’d always park it badly outside ours.
“I’d see him walking around in his pyjamas and slip-on sandals, carrying a shopping bag.
“He was quite bulked up and used to keep his exercise weights in his garage. I’d see them there.”
Two firearms officers were seen on social media footage surrounding a man on the ground, shouting at members of the public to “get back, he has got a bomb”.
Moments later, the terrorist attempted to get to his feet before officers shouted a warning and gunshots rang out.
Sir Keir Starmer flew back to the UK early from a meeting of European leaders in Denmark to chair an emergency Cobra meeting on the stabbing.
The Prime Minister said the Government had deployed “additional police assets” at synagogues across the country.
Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli foreign minister, said authorities in Britain had “failed to take the necessary action to curb this toxic wave of antisemitism and have effectively allowed it to persist”.
He added: “The truth must be told: blatant and rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement, as well as calls of support for terror, have recently become a widespread phenomenon in the streets of London, in cities across Britain, and on its campuses.”
Counter Terrorism Police have confirmed that two men were pronounced dead at the scene and that three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries.
They said one of those men sustained a stab wound and a second was struck by the car involved in the attack. The third man later presented himself at hospital with an injury that may have been sustained as officers stopped the attacker.
Counter Terrorism Police have confirmed the name of the suspect as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent.
Police added that three people have been arrested and are being held on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.
They are two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s.
Police said based on what they currently know, their records do not show any previous Prevent referrals relating to Al-Shamie.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has said today’s attack was made inevitable after successive governments “ignored every warning” over radicalisation.
Gideon Falter, the chief executive, said: “Today, the blood of British Jews is on the hands of virtue-signalling politicians who have poured fuel on the fire of extremism with their posturing and appeasement, police forces and police chiefs who have failed to tackle the mobs on our streets, universities and schools that have tolerated incitement, the BBC whose bias and moral collapse has essentially turned them into spokespeople for Hamas, whom they still refuse to call terrorists, and regulators like the Charity Commission that has failed abjectly to address dangerous rhetoric at mosques.”
Mr Falter called urgent action to prevent further attacks.
He added: “The eyes of the Jewish people worldwide and decent Britons across the country now turn to Downing Street, not for thoughts and prayers or empty declarations that antisemitism has no place in Britain, but to hear what concrete, forceful measures will now be enacted.”
President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Pinchas Goldschmidt, has called for more to be done to “stamp out murderous ideologies” following the terror attack in Manchester.
“Jews in Manchester, England, woke up this morning to pray, and were murdered in their own synagogue,” the Chief Rabbi said. “More needs to be done to stamp out murderous ideologies.
“Governments from the world over should spare us the statements about fighting antisemitism and instead ensure Jews are safe.”
Sir Keir Starmer has visited a synagogue in London this evening.
His wife, Lady Starmer, is Jewish.
Pro-Palestine protesters have clashed with police outside the gates of Downing Street just hours after a terror attack at a Manchester synagogue.
Thousands of people waving Palestinian flags gathered in central London to protest against Israeli forces boarding Greta Thunberg’s Gaza-bound flotilla.
An American tourist caught up in the pro-Palestine protests in London said the sentiment was sad to witness but unsurprising.
Justin Alintoff, 26, originally from New York, said: “They’re choosing to protest on Yom Kippur… they know what they’re doing and they know that it’s the holiest Jewish day of the year.”
He added: “I think the problem is, when you ask the protesters here about the attack, they say, ‘It shouldn’t have happened, but…’
“But I don’t think there should be a ‘but’ after any terrorist attack, especially one which kills people that are trying to worship in peace.
“And so, I think it’s sad. It’s a shame. And unfortunately, it’s a part of Jewish history that we’ve been oppressed, we’ve been attacked.
“I’m from New York, and from those who I’ve spoken to, I’ve heard that people are extremely concerned and threatened in London.
“We’ve seen this before, if you look in the history book, we’ve seen anti-Semitism, and anti-Jewish sentiment, for thousands of years.”
Israel’s national security minister has called on the British Government to come to its senses after today’s terror attack.
Posting on the Telegram messaging app, Itamar Ben-Gvir said Britain had “received a cruel reminder today that those who strengthen terrorism will eventually be struck within their own country”.
He added: “It is time for British leaders to come to their senses and understand what the citizens of the State of Israel go through every day – terrorism does not discriminate between Israelis and Englishmen.
“Today it’s against Jews, tomorrow it’s against the entire Western world.”
An attendee at a pro-Palestine protest in Westminster has said today’s terror attack pales in comparison to the plight of Greta Thunberg’s flotilla.
Fiona Smith, 42, told The Telegraph: “I don’t give a f*** about the Jewish community right now. I thought about it and I’m sorry about what happened, but the whole story and why we’re here is because of what happened yesterday [with the flotilla].”
Some vessels in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which have been sailing towards Gaza carrying aid, were boarded by the Israeli military on Thursday morning.
Ms Smith’s friend, Sibilla Todaro, 39, who lives in London, added: “The fact that they’ve been attacked doesn’t mean that we’ve been attacked as well.
“We’ve been attacked for three years. The fact that we’re here does not mean that we do not respect them and we do not feel sorry for what happened, which is obviously a tragic incident. But we shouldn’t [stop everything] the show must go on.
“None of us are against the Jewish community – we’re against Zionism. There’s a lot of Jewish people here with us protesting, which clearly means they condemn what happened today as well as they support this. They’re not mutually exclusive.
“This is an emergency protest because there has been an attack yesterday – they’ve taken and effectively kidnapped a bunch of people in the flotilla from different countries in international waters and that’s a crime.
“But no one’s doing anything against Israel, because Israel is supported by the United States.”
Scuffles have broken out at a pro-Palestine march in the centre of Manchester this evening.
Earlier today, police said it would let a pro-Palestine protest go ahead at a Manchester Piccadilly railway station just hours after a terror attack on a synagogue.
The British Transport Police said it would “facilitate peaceful protest” but warned officers would intervene if protesters tried to gain access to the station.
One woman, who lost her hat in a scuffle, said: “I’m just so upset this has been held today. I’m all for free speech on any other day, but it’s not right to be doing this today.”
Also among the critics was Nick Voss, 49, who said: “After what’s happened today, this should have been cancelled out of respect.
“I know that they are on an opposing side, but I think it should have been cancelled.
“We all have a right to protest, but these guys aren’t respectful. As far as I’m concerned, they’re terror supporters and far-left communists and they disgust me to my absolute core.”
He added: “It was upsetting to see what happened in Heaton Park, I know a couple of people who were nearby when it happened and they’re shocked.
“I’ve come today to stand against this protest and I’ll do it every single week.”
Copy link
twitter
facebook
whatsapp
email