Armed cops have reportedly arrested two people just streets away from where an alleged terrorist wearing a suspected suicide vest went on a deadly rampage.
At least two people were killed in the attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, this morning.
A car was driven into a crowd and a man stabbed at 9.31am on Yom Kippur – the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Police said three other victims are in a serious condition after the attack.
The suspect, who was feared to be wearing an explosive vest, has also died after being gunned down by an armed officer, police this afternoon confirmed.
Locals living in nearby White House Avenue, which is about 1,500ft away from where this morning’s carnage took place, say two men were arrested by police.
Elite officers armed with assault rifles and Glock pistols are now standing guard outside a property in the ‘quiet’ street, which was raided earlier today.
A cordon is also in place, with a large number of police vehicles seen blocking the cul-de-sac, made up of semi-detached homes.
It is believed armed officers from over the border in Wales are among those now taking part in the security operation to lockdown Manchester.
Residents living in the White House Avenue have reportedly been told to remain inside their homes, while armed officers, dressed in black and wearing body armour, have been seen patrolling outside the street.
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.’
A knifeman has been killed by police following a suspected terror attack outside a synagogue
Following the incident, armed officers later reportedly arrested two men in a street just feet away from the deadly knife attack in Manchester (pictured is a man being detained by police)
Armed police swarmed a home in White House Avenue earlier today (pictured)
Officers were seen guarding the scene of the street following an alleged raid there
A large number of emergency vehicles and armed personnel are still at the scene
Pictured: Members of the British Army’s bomb squad are seen with one of their robots
The bomb squad’s robot is seen moving towards the synagogue before a controlled explosion was heard
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. Daily Mail has approached Greater Manchester Police for comment.
Describing the police presence in the street, another person told the 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 were called to the nearby synagogue attack site.
At 12.45pm a small bang could be heard from near the synagogue, suspected to be a controlled explosion.
Hero rabbi Daniel Walker barricaded worshippers inside the building after the suspect crashed into the gate and began stabbing ‘anyone and everyone’.
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 before being shot dead by armed police at 9.38am.
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’.
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.’
The suspected attacker wearing what is believed to be a suicide belt, with three terrified people inside the synagogue staring through windows
The suspect is thought to be dead, but this will not be confirmed due to ‘suspicious items on his person’
The road, about 1,500ft from the synagogue, has been cordoned off and is now under guard
The man on the ground is seen starting to get up before there is the sound of a gunshot and he falls to the ground. A victim lies motionless on the ground outside the synagogue gates with blood around their head.
Sir Keir Starmer said ‘additional police assets’ will be deployed at synagogues across the country following the attack.
The Prime Minister is set to fly home early from a meeting of European leaders in Denmark in order to chair a Cobra meeting following the incident.
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.
Footage shows the suspect lying on the ground outside the synagogue as armed police aim their guns at him. Moments later, he starts trying to get up before a gunshot rings out
A Kia Picanto, which appeared to have been damaged by a collision, pictured at the scene today
Rabbi Daniel Walker (pictured right) leapt into action after the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue came under attack this morning
A bomb disposal unit at the scene alongside dozens of police vehicles and fire and ambulance crews
Police and ambulance crews near the cordon outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall
An armed police officer – his face covered by a mask – stands behind the cordon
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.
Police are seen standing guard outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue
‘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.’
A major incident and police have enacted ‘Plato’ – the national code-word used by the emergency services when responding to a ‘marauding terror attack’
Fire and rescue crews are among those responding to the incident in Manchester
Members of the army unload a bomb disposal robot at the scene
The Prime Minister is returning from a meeting of European leaders to chair Cobra
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.’
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) said: ‘Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible.’
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.
![New York Governor Faces Backlash For Saying ‘Black Kids In The Bronx Don’t Know What A Computer Is’ [WATCH]](https://citigist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/New-York-Governor-Faces-Backlash-For-Saying-‘Black-Kids-In-380x200.jpg)
