Jihad Al-Shamie named as Manchester synagogue attacker by police

The terrorist who carried out the fatal Manchester synagogue atack has been named as Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed Al-Shamie, 35, as the manwho killed two people and injured four others in a ramming and knife attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue this morning. Al-Shamie who was armed with a knife and a device that had been believed to be an explosive, was shot dead seven minutes after the attack started.

Two men aged in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism connected to the synagogue attack, police added.

Officers were alerted this morning to reports a car was driven into pedestrians and that people had been stabbed. Tragically, two people were confirmed tohave been killed in the terror attackand four others were rushed to hospital in a serious condition.

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Officers could not immediately confirm if Al-Shamie was killed due to "safety issues" over "suspicious items on his person." Following an investigation of the scene, it was determined the device was not an explosive.

In a statement Greater Manchester Police said this evening: "We are now able to confirm that, although formal identification is yet to take place, we believe the person responsible for today’s attacks is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie. He is a British citizen of Syrian descent."

They added: "Based on what we currently know, our records do not show any previous Prevent referrals relating to this individual."

As well as two men who were pronounced dead at the scene following the attack, for force confirmed that three others were in hospital with "serious injuries" related to the incident.

"One sustained a stab wound and a second was struck by the car involved in the attack. The third man later presented himself at hospital with an injury that may have been sustained as officers stopped the attacker," the statement said.

Investigators are still working to formally identify those who had been killed in the attack and provide support to their loved ones, in addition to the injured and the wider community, for force concluded.

Investigations were continuing and detectives were working to understand the motivation behind the horriffic attack as crime scenes remain in place on White House Avenue, Crumpsall and Langley Crescent, Prestwich, which are also linked to the arrests.