Synagogue stabbings was a terror attack: Counter-terror police arrest two in raid on house less than a mile from scene where terrorist ‘wearing explosive vest’ killed two worshippers

Armed police have arrested two people just streets away from where a terrorist wearing a suspected suicide vest went on a deadly rampage. 

At least two Jewish people were killed in the attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, in this morning’s attack. 

A car was driven into a crowd before the male driver started stabbing people at 9.31am on Yom Kippur – the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. 

Police said four other victims are in a serious condition following today’s tragedy.

The suspect, who was feared to be wearing an explosive vest, was shot dead within seven minutes of the initial call to the emergency services, Greater Manchester Police chief constable Sir Stephen Watson said.

Officers have since confirmed the incident is being treated as a terror attack. The Daily Mail understands members of the British Army’s elite SAS have this evening been called in to support the terror probe.

Two men have since been arrested in nearby White House Avenue, about 1,500ft from where the carnage took place, the Metropolitan Police‘s head of counter terrorism policing Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said.

Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, Assistant Commissioner Taylor added: ‘This morning, an appalling attack took place in Crumpsall in Manchester. Two people have died. The attacker has been shot dead by the police.

‘We believe we know their identity, but for safety reasons at the scene, we’re unable to confirm at this stage.

‘Three other members of the public are in a serious condition. We have also made two further arrests, and based on what we know, counter-terrorism policing has declared this as a terrorist incident.’

Counter terrorism police are working with officers in Greater Manchester to investigate the killings outside the synagogue.

Police sources have told the Daily Mail that the vest being worn by the attacker is not believed to be a viable device, but this has yet to be formally confirmed by ordnance experts.

Mr Taylor added: ‘Those who have been killed injured at the forefront of our minds as of their families, friends, and all of those who love them and attack them on Jewish community today on Yom Kippur is devastating.’

In Manchester, Chief Constable Stephen Watson told a press conference, the identity of the killer had been ‘established’ but that it was ‘premature’ to release it.

He added: ‘We can confirm that two members of our Jewish community have sadly died as a result of this attack.

‘Following a rapid response, armed officers from Greater Manchester Police intercepted the offender and he was fatally shot by officers within seven minutes of the original call.

‘Four further people remain in hospital, having suffered a variety of serious injuries, and their treatment is ongoing, and our thoughts are with them and their families.’

Chief Constable Watson said the attacker’s car was ‘driven directly’ at people standing outside the packed worship centre in Middleton Road.

‘The driver of the car was seen then to attack people with a knife. He was wearing about his body a vest which had the appearance of an explosive device,’ he told journalists.

‘There were a large number of worshippers attending the synagogue at the time of this attack, but thanks to the immediate bravery of security staff and worshippers inside, as well as the fast response of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access.’

Elite officers armed with assault rifles and Glock pistols are now standing guard outside a property in the ‘quiet’ White House Avenue, which was raided earlier today.

It is believed armed officers from over the border in Wales are among those now taking part in the wider security operation in Manchester, which saw hospitals put on lockdown. 

Cordons are still in place. Residents in White House Avenue were reportedly told to remain inside their homes, while armed officers, dressed in black and wearing body armour, patrolled outside. 

A man who lives in the street claimed he saw two men in handcuffs being led away by police.

The male, who asked not to be named, said: ‘They’ve arrested two people on our road.’

He said he did not know the men, or which house they were linked to. He added he had been at work when his wife had called and told him to come home due to the incident.

‘They’ve closed the road and there’s a police helicopter just over us. There were six or seven police cars with armed police,’ he added.

He said White House Avenue is a no-through road and is usually ‘very quiet’.

It’s unclear why the two men have reportedly been arrested. The Daily Mail has approached Greater Manchester Police for comment. 

Describing the police presence in the street, another person told the Daily Mail: ‘They swarmed the avenue, dog units and armed police all sorts. It’s such a tiny avenue, it was crazy, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.’ 

The action comes shortly after army bomb disposal experts from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment were called to detonate the terrorist’s suspected suicide device. 

At 12.45pm a small bang could be heard from near the synagogue, believed to be a controlled explosion. 

Meanwhile, at least two specialist helicopters from the SAS was also spotted in the skies over Crumpsall. 

The choppers landed in a field behind the Jewish worship site. Teams of men, thought to be from the ‘Who Dares, Wins’ regiment, were seen piling out of the aircraft, carrying black duffle bags and military rucksacks.

Wearing civilian clothing, baseball caps and masks, the members of special forces unit were also accompanied by a dog wearing a military-style vest.

It’s thought the group of elite soldiers are supporting counter-terrorism police in their investigation.  

The seven minutes of carnage began at 9.31am, when the knifeman rammed a car into the synagogue.  

One witness described him moving from victim to victim in a ‘robotic’ manner ‘like he had a job to do’ – targeting ‘anyone’ wearing a Kippur. 

He then tried to force his way inside the synagogue, but was prevented in doing so by hero Rabbi Daniel Walker, who barricaded worshippers inside.

Armed police arrived at the scene at 9.37am before opening fire on the man. 

Video shared on social media appears to show armed police officers pointing guns at a man laying on the ground as one screams to onlookers: ‘Everybody else, get back. If you’re not involved, move back, get away… he has a bomb, go away.’ 

A 9.38am, the suspect was shot again after trying to get back up despite warnings from officers. He died in a pool of his own blood.  

A senior security source, who for decades worked in armed policing, told the Daily Mail that the man’s suicide belt looked real. 

Greater Manchester Police said it had ‘declared Plato’ – the national code-word used by police and emergency services when responding to a ‘marauding terror attack’. 

Meanwhile, residents living at the back of the synagogue were evacuated from their homes following the fatal stabbings.

Neighbours handed out blankets and chairs to those left homeless.

Angela Booth, 50, said: ‘It was mayhem. There were police running around everywhere shouting at everyone to get back.

‘It was horrendous. Then I heard four shots. I just knew it was gunshots.

‘Then it went quiet for a few moments before the shouting began again.

‘I have been told the man shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ before attacking people.’

Simon Collins, 61, is one of the residents who has been evacuated. He said: ‘I heard the shots and then I heard the sirens. I thought it might have been gang-related, but I now know that it wasn’t, sadly.

‘I looked out of my window and saw all the emergency services.

‘It was carnage. I saw a guy wearing a white shirt, which was covered in blood walking towards the paramedics.

‘Then there was a paramedic trying to resuscitate someone on the floor. It was horrific.

‘Previously, there has been a mobile police station outside the synagogue for the holidays but not this time.

‘If there had been, could this have been prevented?’

Sir Keir Starmer said ‘additional police assets’ will be deployed at synagogues across the country following the attack.

The Prime Minister flew home early from a meeting of European leaders in Denmark in order to chair a Cobra meeting following the incident. He has since arrived in Downing Street. 

He said he was ‘appalled’ at the attack, adding: ‘The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.’

The King said he and the Queen were ‘deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the horror, especially on such a significant day for the Jewish community’.

Charles, in a message issued by Buckingham Palace, said his thoughts and prayers were with all those affected by ‘this appalling incident’ as he praised the ‘swift actions’ of the emergency services.

The Prince and Princess of Wales said in a personal message posted on social media: ‘Our thoughts are with the victims and the families of the terrible attack at Heaton Park Synagogue.

‘The fact that this tragedy occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more shocking.

‘We are thinking of the entire community as well as the emergency responders who attended this terrible incident.’

The message was signed ‘W & C’.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said one of the victims was a security guard who had been stabbed. 

Police sources told the Mail it was ‘too early’ to determine the attacker’s motivation.

GMP said in a statement: ‘Police were called to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, on Middleton Road, Crumpsall, at 9.31am by a member of the public, stating he had witnessed a car being driven towards members of the public and one man had been stabbed.’

The force said it declared a major incident at 9.37am.

The statement continued: ‘Shots were fired by Greater Manchester Police firearms officers at 9.38am. One man has been shot, believed to be the offender. Paramedics arrived at the scene at 9.41am and are tending to members of the public.

‘We are grateful to the member of the public whose quick response to what they witnessed allowed our swift action, and as a result the offender was prevented from entering the synagogue.’

Salford Royal, Fairfield General, Rochdale Infirmary, and the Royal Oldham hospitals are all ‘on lockdown’ after the incident. 

Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation is a large Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogue that was formally founded in 1935.

Khurram Rafiq, who was driving past the building this morning, described seeing a knifeman going from victim to victim in a ‘robotic’ manner. 

The tech firm manager, 35, told the Mail: ‘I was driving into work this morning and further down the road I saw a car which was on the same side as mine drive into someone on the pavement.

‘Initially I thought it was an accident and that the driver had lost control for whatever reason. But he then got out and stabbed the man who was lying on the ground.

‘This happened directly outside the synagogue. The knifeman walked through the front gates and stabbed at least two other men.

‘I would describe him as an Asian man and he was going for anyone who was Jewish, the men he stabbed were all wearing the Kippur.

‘He was quiet, there was no shouting from what I could hear nor any religious slogans or chants, he was very robotic in his actions like he had a job to do and was just focused on doing it.

‘The entrance to the synagogue was locked shut. I could see him trying to get in, he was banging on the door and at one point looked to try and kind of jimmy open the door.

‘People were trying to distract him by throwing stuff like plant pots but nobody was going near him.

‘That, I think, was because round his waist he had what looked like a belt containing explosives. Whether they were real or designed purely to intimidate and cause fear, I can’t say.

‘But the police were on the scene really quickly, armed police surrounded the synagogue.

‘At first he looked to be complying but then two gun shots rang out. I got a little closer and there was a third gunshot which proved fatal. He slumped to the floor.

‘The guy he’d hit with the car and stabbed first of all was lying motionless on the ground. There was a pool of blood by where he was lying and to me at that point he looked to have died from his injuries.

‘There were people peering out of the synagogue windows and they were afraid for their lives. It was an incredibly frightening incident to witness and I’m still shaken up.’

One delivery driver, who gave his name as Gareth, described stopping to see what happened when he saw a car had crashed by the side of the road. 

‘Next minute, we were held back in a little bit of traffic, and we could see a car had crashed – so we just thought it were a normal collision,’ he told BBC Radio Manchester. 

‘We got a big closer. We seen a guy bleeding out on the floor. He was just basically unconscious on the floor, presumed, obviously, dead. And then literally, there was [another] a guy in front of the car. He just lay on the floor. We couldn’t really see him.

‘And then there was a few people stood in the road. Somebody shouted something in the school or the synagogue, or what [ever] it was.

‘And then, as we looked over, the guy had a knife, and he was just stabbing the window trying to get in the [synagogue].

‘And then within seconds the police arrived. They gave him a couple of warnings. He didn’t listen, so they opened fire. He went down on the floor, and then he started getting back up, and then they shot him again.’

A security source, who for decades worked in armed policing protecting the Royal Family and government ministers, said he the suspect’s suicide belt may have been genuine. 

He said suicide belts are usually homemade – making it impossible to tell immediately.

Police simply can’t assess if it’s real in a ‘split second’ and therefore GMP officers were right to shoot to kill in case it went off, the source insisted. 

‘This is a tactic by Al Qaeda and ISIS. We saw the London Bridge attackers wearing what looked like suicide belts. But you will only find out if a suicide belt is real when it goes off.

‘Looking at the image of the suspect, he appears to have canisters around his waist and something is strapped to his chest. These could be filled with explosives and packed with marbles or ball bearings.

‘The armed officers at the synagogue today were left with a split-second decision and that had to be to neutralise him as soon as he moved.

‘What if he got inside the building or ran around the corner and detonated in front of a school? That would be on the police. If he blew himself up there and then the police and public would be in mortal danger.

‘He had to be shot and specifically shot between the nose and the Adam’s Apple, so his brain cannot react quick enough to detonate any device.

‘You can’t negotiate. You can’t shoot him in the legs or talk him down. People who say so are naïve. You have to kill someone in these circumstances. This person had already crossed the line, he’d driven into a synagogue, stabbed people and appears to have a suicide belt.

‘While the officers’ decision to shoot will be pored over – for years in some cases – they were right to act’.

A second source said the suspect’s body will be being inspected by bomb disposal teams. 

Officers will ensure that any mobile phones on his body are disabled and are using technology able to determine if there is a timer connected to the vest.

His body will also be scanned for nails, ball bearings and other items that could be packed into the vest. 

Shortly after the attack, the area around the synagogue was swamped by dozens of police vehicles, along with fire and ambulance crews, while a force helicopter hovered overhead.

The surrounding streets were cordoned off with more police cars and vans, sirens blaring, racing down neighbouring roads.

A short distance away from the synagogue, police officers armed with Heckler & Koch machine guns stood guard at the head of a path, between houses, leading up to the back of the synagogue.

Members of the Jewish community have been gathering around the police cordon, with some of them in tears. 

A number of black, unmarked police 4×4 vehicles and vans carrying plain clothes officers with face coverings were seen leaving the area of the incident at speed.

One victim was seen next to a Kia Picanto, which appeared to have been damaged by a collision. The vehicle was taxed – and passed its MOT around eight weeks ago. 

Immediately after the attack, one Jewish man said his wife and daughter and other members of the congregation were still inside the synagogue. 

He said: ‘It is the holiest day of the year and we get this. There is no place for Jews in Britain anymore. It’s over.’

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: ‘I am horrified by the news of an attack at a synagogue in Manchester today, on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

‘My first thoughts are with the victims, our brave police and emergency services.’

Manchester has a Jewish population of more than 30,000, the highest in the UK after London.

Policing Minister Sarah Jones was asked whether she had any message for the Jewish community today who may feel very let down after Sir Keir Starmer recognised the state of Palestine.

She said: ‘Well, it’s an emerging situation. I can’t comment on it beyond that. We are in touch with the police and I’m being kept informed. Anti Semitism has no place in our society, and we must make sure we’re protecting Jewish people against attacks. But this particular situation I’m not in a position to give more information.’

Kemi Badenoch described the incident as a ‘vile and disgusting attack’ and called for the ‘rise in antisemitism that we’re seeing in our country’ to be ‘quelled completely’. 

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: ‘I am appalled not only by this brutal attack, but also by the evil that lies behind it.’

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he was ‘horrified’. 

Meanwhile, a rabbi described the attack as ‘every Jewish person’s worst nightmare’.

Rabbi Jonathan Romain, emeritus rabbi of Maidenhead Synagogue and current head of the Rabbinic Court of Great Britain, said he felt ‘appalled’ by what had happened,

‘This is every Rabbi’s or every Jewish person’s worst nightmare,’ he said. 

‘Not only is this a sacred day, the most sacred in the Jewish calendar, but it’s also a time of mass gathering, and the time when the Jewish community, however religious or irreligious, gathers together.’

He added: ‘This will obviously heighten the fears that many Jews have had, that political violence would spill over into religious hatred.’

Dr Paul Stott, Head of Crime and Security at Policy Exchange called for a sustained response to antisemitism:

‘The targeting of a synagogue and Jews on Yom Kippur, point strongly to an antisemitic terrorist attack,’ he said. 

‘The challenge the UK faces here is deep and enduring, and has gone on far too long. It now requires a dedicated, sustained response.’

The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police has said ‘very visible and proactive policing activity is ongoing across Greater Manchester and beyond’.

Sir Stephen added: ‘There will be lots of questions that people would like answers to and quickly, but please understand that some of this will take time.

‘What I can say is that the highly visible response to these dreadful incidents will be sustained as we work to understand the full circumstances of what has happened.’

Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and is a time when synagogues are usually particularly busy.

Dave Rich of the Community Security Trust, a charity that monitors antisemitism in the UK, said: ‘Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year.

‘It’s a very solemn day and synagogues across the country will be full throughout the day.

‘There’s always a significant security operation in place between police and CST across the Jewish community on all major Jewish festivals.’

In terms of importance in the religious year he said it is similar to Christmas Day for Christians, but is a day of solemnity and fasting rather than celebration.