Authorities are currently interrogating six individuals who were apprehended on suspicion of terrorism following an assault on a synagogue in the northwest region of England. The attack resulted in the tragic deaths of two men and has deeply impacted the Jewish community in Britain.
Jihad Al-Shamie, aged 35, was fatally shot by law enforcement on Thursday outside the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester. Al-Shamie had deliberately hit pedestrians with a car, launched a knife attack, and attempted to breach the synagogue premises. Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, members of the congregation, lost their lives during the incident on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Police revealed that Daulby was accidentally shot by an armed officer while trying to prevent Al-Shamie from entering the synagogue along with other worshippers who were barricading the entrance. Additionally, three other men sustained severe injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.
Investigations suggest that Al-Shamie, a British national of Syrian descent residing in Manchester, may have been radicalized by extremist Islamist beliefs. He was found wearing a fake explosive belt during the attack.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the deployment of police to synagogues across the U.K. following the Manchester attack. He is returning to London to preside over a government emergency meeting, COBRA.
Authorities disclosed that Al-Shamie was under investigation for an alleged rape but had not been formally charged at the time of the synagogue assault. In connection with the incident, three men and three women were apprehended in the greater Manchester area on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities, as law enforcement endeavors to ascertain if the perpetrator had accomplices.
A court granted authorities an extension of five days to detain four of the suspects: two men aged 30 and 32, and two women aged 46 and 61. Additionally, an 18-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man are also undergoing interrogation.
The identities of those taken into custody have not been revealed by the police, nor have any connections to Al-Shamie been disclosed.
Escalation of Antisemitic Incidents
The assault has left the British Jewish community in a state of distress and has sparked discussions regarding the boundaries between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.
Reported antisemitic occurrences in the U.K. have surged following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent conflict with Hamas in Gaza, as reported by Community Security Trust, an organization offering support and protection to British Jews.
Some political figures and religious leaders have suggested that
