PM Starmer condemns attacks on a Manchester Synagogue

London- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned attacks on a Manchester Synagogue and said the government would do everything to keep the Jews community safe.

At least two Jewish worshippers were killed and three others seriously injured in a car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in the English city of Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.

Mr Starmer warned that hatred is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again.

He used his address to reassure Britain’s Jewish community and vowed to do “everything” in his power to guarantee their security, starting with a more visible police presence protecting the Jewish community.

UK authorities announced heightened security measures at synagogues across the country after police declared a terrorist incident – against the backdrop of rising antisemitism and other forms of religious hatred worldwide following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks and Israel’s war in Gaza.

Here’s what we know about the suspect, the attack, and what may come next.

Armed officers swiftly arrived at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Manchester suburb of Crumpsall, after receiving a call from a member of the public at 9:31 a.m local time on Thursday, the city’s police said.

A car had been driven at members of the public and a member of the security detail outside the synagogue had been stabbed, according to a statement from Greater Manchester Police. The suspected assailant, identified by police as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, died after he was shot by firearms officers.

Three other people remain in hospital with serious injuries, police said in a statement. One of the injured was stabbed, and another was struck by the car involved in the attack, reports said.