Police reveal identity of man behind deadly attack on Manchester synagogue

Police in Manchester have named the man behind Thursday’s deadly synagogue attack as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British national of Syrian heritage.

The assault, which occurred as worshippers gathered for Yom Kippur at Heaton Park synagogue, left two men dead and three others hospitalized with serious injuries. Investigators say the attacker first rammed a vehicle into pedestrians before launching a knife attack.

Armed officers shot Al-Shamie dead within seven minutes of the first emergency call.

Authorities later confirmed three additional arrests connected to the incident. Police have officially classified the attack as terrorism.

Video footage captured during the chaos shows officers shouting “get back – he has a bomb!” before later confirming the suspected explosive device was “not viable.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, pledging action against antisemitism. Addressing Britain’s Jewish community directly, he said: “I’ll do everything in my power to give the security you deserve.”

Police say a “large number of people” were inside the synagogue at the time of the attack, one of the most sacred days in the Jewish calendar.