Manchester synagogue attacker claimed allegiance to ISIS, UK police say

Police said Jihad al-Shamie called exigency services to state allegiance to equipped radical arsenic helium carried retired the attack.

The antheral who attacked a synagogue successful the British metropolis of Manchester that near 2 Jewish worshippers dormant had pledged allegiance to ISIS (ISIL) during the attack, constabulary said.

In a connection connected Wednesday, United Kingdom counterterror constabulary revealed that the attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, called exigency services to state helium was acting for ISIS arsenic helium carried retired the attack astatine Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue connected October 2.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Manchester synagogue attack: What we cognize astir the victims and attacker
• list 2 of 4Shock and disbelief arsenic Manchester assemblage reels from synagogue attack
• list 3 of 4UK constabulary impulse cancellation of Palestine protestation aft Manchester attack
• list 4 of 4Police accidental 1 unfortunate perchance changeable by serviceman during Manchester attack

“We tin corroborate that, successful the archetypal stages of the onslaught extracurricular the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, a telephone was made by the attacker to police, claiming to pledge allegiance to the alleged Islamic State,” said a spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing North West.

“We are continuing to analyse the afloat circumstances and information down what happened.”

Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British national of Syrian descent, made the telephone telephone aft driving a car into pedestrians and attacking radical with a weapon astatine the synagogue successful the Manchester suburb of Crumpsall connected Yom Kippur, the holiest time successful the Jewish calendar.

Armed officers changeable dormant Al-Shamie, who had appeared to beryllium wearing an explosive belt, astatine the scene. Police aboriginal said the instrumentality was not viable.

Police besides said an serviceman had accidentally shot 1 of the 2 victims killed successful the attack. Adrian Daulby, 53, was accidentally changeable arsenic helium and different worshippers barricaded the synagogue to forestall al-Shamie from entering.

Al-Shamie’s rampage besides killed Melvin Cravitz, 66, and near 3 different men hospitalised with superior injuries.

Unknown to counterterror police

Last week, Laurence Taylor, the UK’s caput of counterterrorism policing, said authorities believed al-Shamie whitethorn person been influenced by utmost ideology.

But helium was not connected the radar of counterterrorism police, nor had helium been referred to the UK’s counter-radicalisation scheme, Prevent.

Police said al-Shamie had a transgression grounds and was connected bail implicit an alleged rape astatine the clip of the attack, but hadn’t been charged.

As constabulary analyse whether al-Shamie received enactment successful carrying retired the attack, they arrested six radical successful the Greater Manchester country connected suspicion of the “commission, mentation and instigation of acts of terrorism”.

On Saturday, a tribunal granted constabulary 5 further days to clasp 4 of those detained – 2 men aged 30 and 32, and women aged 46 and 61 – portion the 2 others were released.

Police person not identified those arrested oregon their transportation to al-Shamie.

The latest revelation successful the lawsuit came arsenic a proceedings of 2 men alleged to person plotted a abstracted ISIS-inspired onslaught against the Jewish assemblage successful Greater Manchester began successful a tribunal successful Preston.

Greater Manchester Police said successful a connection that determination was nary nexus betwixt the trial, successful which the defendants were arrested successful May 2024, and the onslaught successful Crumpsall.