The perpetrator of a terrorist attack at a synagogue in England last week called the emergency services during his assault and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, the police announced on Wednesday.
Jihad al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by armed police officers minutes later, after killing one person and injuring two others in a car-ramming and stabbing attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, England.
Another person died after being accidentally struck by a police bullet as worshipers used their bodies to barricade the synagogue’s doors against the assailant, while another bystander was shot but survived.
The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, adding to fears about the safety of Jews around the world amid rising antisemitism, and prompting questions over why Britain’s security services had not detected and prevented the plot.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, of the Greater Manchester Police, said in a statement on Wednesday that Mr. al-Shamie had not been flagged as a potential threat to the counterterrorism police previously but that law enforcement was now “confident that he was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology.”
Mr. Potts said that Mr. al-Shamie had attended the synagogue about 15 minutes before the start of the attack and had been seen “acting suspiciously” before being confronted by security and walking away. The episode had not been reported to the police.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post British Synagogue Attacker Pledged Allegiance to ISIS, Police Say appeared first on New York Times.
