A man who carried out an assault on a synagogue in northern England last week, resulting in the deaths of two Jewish worshippers, contacted the police to claim allegiance to Islamic State, also known as ISIS, as per investigators on Wednesday. Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian origin, drove a car into pedestrians and attacked individuals with a knife at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester’s Crumpsall area. Armed with two knives and appearing to wear an explosive belt, Al-Shamie was shot and killed by armed officers at the scene. One of the victims was also fatally hit by police gunfire.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts of Greater Manchester Police revealed that Al-Shamie called the emergency number 999 moments after the incident to confess to the attack and pledge allegiance to Islamic State. The assault occurred during Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, resulting in the deaths of Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, with three additional men sustaining severe injuries.
The attacker was not on the radar of counterterrorism authorities and had not been part of the country’s counter-radicalization program, Prevent. However, he had a criminal background and was recently arrested for rape, subsequently being released on bail. Potts emphasized that the investigation points towards the attacker being influenced by extreme Islamist ideology, with ongoing assessments to uncover additional motives.
Six individuals were arrested following the incident, with all set to be released without charges. While two were released on Saturday, the remaining four were to be released on Wednesday. The investigation remains active despite these developments. Al-Shamie’s family expressed profound shock and disassociation from his actions in a Facebook statement. Antisemitic incidents have surged in Britain and other Western nations in the aftermath of Israel’s Gaza conflict, with 2024 marking a significant increase in such incidents according to the Community Security Trust.
