Two people have been killed in a terror attack at a Manchester synagogue after a car drove into a crowd gathered for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
One man was also stabbed in the incident at the Heaton Park synagogue before the alleged attacker was shot dead by police.
Greater Manchester Police and counter-terrorism officers responded quickly to the scene, confirming the incident is being treated as a terrorist act.
“Based on what we know, counter terrorism policing has declared this as a terrorist incident,” Assistant Commissioner Taylor said.
“Our specialist teams are now leading the investigation into what happened and are working closely with Greater Manchester Police.
“As we do this, those who have been killed and injured are at the forefront of our minds as are their family, friends and all of those who love them”.
Two further arrests have been made in connection with the attack, and authorities believe they know the identity of the suspect.
“We are now able to confirm that, although formal identification is yet to take place, we believe the person responsible for today’s attacks is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie,” Greater Manchester Police said.
“He is a British citizen of Syrian descent.
“A suspicious device worn by the attacker during the incident has been assessed and was deemed not to be viable.
“Based on what we currently know, our records do not show any previous Prevent referrals relating to this individual”.
The motive has not yet been confirmed, but police say they are “exploring all leads”.
In response, patrols are being increased at synagogues and Jewish community sites across the country.
