MANCHESTER, England — A man drove a car into worshippers outside a synagogue in northern England on Thursday and then began stabbing people, killing two and seriously injuring at least three in what authorities declared a terrorist attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Greater Manchester Police said officers shot and killed the suspect, later identified as 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, Jihad Al-Shamie. He was wearing a vest that appeared to contain explosives, delaying confirmation of his death, but police later confirmed no bomb was found.

The Metropolitan Police, which oversees counterterrorism operations across the U.K., formally declared the incident a terrorist attack. Three others — two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s were arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses.

Authorities said at least three victims remain hospitalized in serious condition: one with stab wounds, another struck by the car, and a third possibly injured as officers subdued the attacker. A fourth person had been reported hurt earlier. Both of the victims who died were Jewish.

The assault occurred outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue around 9:30 a.m., shortly after Yom Kippur services began. Chief Constable Stephen Watson said the suspect “drove directly at pedestrians” before attacking them with a knife. Security guards and congregants were credited with preventing him from entering the prayer service.

Chava Lewin, who lives near the synagogue, said she initially thought the noise she heard was a firework until her husband ran inside to tell her “there had been a terrorist attack.” She recounted how the man “went for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue.”

Video posted online showed armed police confronting the suspect beneath a blue Star of David painted on the synagogue wall. A bystander was heard saying the man had a bomb before police shot him when he attempted to rise to his feet. Officers later detonated an explosive device to access his vehicle.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the assailant, calling him “vile” and declaring: “He attacked Jews because they are Jews.” Starmer pledged a stronger police presence at synagogues nationwide and promised the Jewish community “the security that you deserve.”

“I promise you that over the coming days, you will see the other Britain, the Britain of compassion, of decency, of love,” Starmer said. “I promise you that this Britain will come together to wrap our arms around your community and show you that Britain is a place where you and your family are safe, secure, and belong.”

King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed that they were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the attack, offering prayers and gratitude to emergency services.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also extended condolences, saying, “Our hearts are with the families of the murdered, and we pray for the swift recovery of the wounded. As I warned at the UN, Weakness in the face of terrorism only brings more terrorism. Only strength and unity can defeat it.”

Antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have risen sharply since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza. The Community Security Trust, an organization that monitors antisemitism, recorded over 1,500 incidents in the first half of 2025, the second-highest six-month total ever recorded.

Rabbi Jonathan Romain of Maidenhead Synagogue described the incident as “every rabbi’s or every Jewish person’s worst nightmare,” emphasizing the significance of Yom Kippur as both the most sacred day in Judaism and a time of large gatherings.

The Manchester attack came eight years after Britain’s deadliest recent terrorist assault, the 2017 Ariana Grande concert bombing that killed 22 people in the city.

Following Thursday’s incident, authorities enacted “Plato,” the national response code for marauding terror attacks. Starmer returned early from a summit in Copenhagen to chair an emergency government meeting, while officials confirmed additional police deployments to synagogues across the country.