A synagogue in Manchester, UK, was subjected to a terrorist attack on the 2nd. Police stated on the 3rd that the suspect had previously been arrested on suspicion of rape, but was released on bail. Additionally, two women and one man were newly arrested on the 3rd.
According to a report by Central News Agency, UK Counter Terrorism Chief Superintendent Taylor said in the evening that the two women and one man arrested are aged between 18 and 45. Along with the two men in their 30s and one woman in her 60s arrested on the 2nd, a total of six people have now been arrested for allegedly participating in planning the terror attack or inciting crime.
The Manchester terror attack, which shook British society, resulted in three deaths, including two Jewish victims and the suspect, Shamai, who was shot dead by police at the scene. 35-year-old Shamai was a Syrian-British citizen.
Taylor confirmed that Shamai had not previously been flagged by police for terrorism-related cases, but had recently been arrested on suspicion of rape. At the time of the attack on the 2nd, Shamai was still on bail.
Sharp Increase in Attacks Against Jews
According to official UK statistics, since October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, attacks against Jews in the UK have shown a sharp upward trend—especially following Israel’s strong counter-attacks against Hamas and ongoing expansion of its military front in the Middle East. As the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel approaches, UK police and intelligence agencies have heightened their alertness to prevent copycat incidents following the Manchester terror attack.