Manchester [UK], October 2 : At least two people lost their lives in a car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in Manchester, northern England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, CNN reported.
Three others are in serious condition following the incident in Crumpsall, north of the city, when a car was deliberately driven at members of the public and a man was stabbed. Police in Manchester said the suspected attacker is believed to have died after being shot by armed officers.
"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 police said in a statement.
Paramedics arrived shortly after the attack, and worshippers inside the synagogue at the time were evacuated safely, as per CNN.
Yom Kippur is traditionally a time when synagogues are particularly busy, as faith leaders conduct services throughout the day. Practising Jews use the occasion to pray introspectively, seeking forgiveness or reflecting on the past year.
Following the attack, Greater Manchester Police declared PLATO, a national code used when armed officers are deployed across the force in response to an ongoing attack, according to CNN.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced "additional police assets" will be deployed at synagogues across the country.
According to the local outlet, four hospitals in the local area are "on lockdown," following the attack.
"The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific," the prime minister said in a post on X. "My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected."
According to the UK news agency, Starmer will cut short his trip to Copenhagen, where he was attending a security meeting of European leaders, to return to the UK and chair a session of the government's Cobra committee - a cross-departmental group convened during national emergencies.
Manchester's Mayor Andy Burnham urged members of the public to avoid the area after the "serious incident."
"Obviously, what we would all want to recognise is how people in our Jewish community will be feeling right now," he told BBC Radio Manchester.
"I can only imagine how people are feeling when they hear this news, the fear that that will bring," added Burnham.