Manchester Synagogue Attacker Swore Allegiance to Islamic State, Police Reveal

British counterterrorism police have confirmed that the assailant behind last week’s deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group during the incident.

Authorities identified the attacker as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, who carried out the assault on October 2 at the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, killing two congregants and injuring three others.

According to Counter Terrorism Policing North West, Al-Shamie called emergency dispatchers during the attack to declare his loyalty to IS. He was later shot dead by armed officers after ramming a vehicle into pedestrians, stabbing victims, and attempting to break into the synagogue.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said Al-Shamie phoned the U.K.’s emergency number, 999, while police were on their way to the scene, claiming responsibility and pledging allegiance to the terror group.

Victims Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, were killed during the Yom Kippur service, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Police revealed that Daulby was fatally shot by an officer as congregants tried to barricade the synagogue to keep Al-Shamie out.

“This has been a week of deep trauma and mourning for the Jewish community at a time when they should have been observing one of their holiest periods,” Potts said.

Investigators disclosed that Al-Shamie was on bail over an alleged rape case but had not been charged and was not previously flagged for extremist behavior.

Police have since arrested six people—three men and three women—in the Greater Manchester area on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses. Four suspects, aged between 30 and 61, remain in custody after a court granted an extension for questioning, while two others have been released without further action.

Authorities are still determining whether Al-Shamie acted alone. Potts said investigators are “more confident that he was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology,” citing the emergency call as part of their assessment.

The attack has sent shockwaves through Britain’s Jewish community and reignited debate over antisemitism amid a surge in hate incidents since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October 2023, according to the Community Security Trust, a group that supports and protects British Jews.