The terrorist behind the deadly Yom Kippur attack at a synagogue in Manchester, England, phoned emergency services during the assault and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terror group, British police said on Wednesday.
Jihad al-Shamie, 35, a British national of Syrian descent, was shot dead seven minutes into his attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation. It left two worshippers dead, one of whom was likely killed by a stray police bullet.
According to The Telegraph, al-Shamie, who had been released on bail following an alleged rape, was married to three women.
British police said he was not known to counterterrorism authorities before the incident.
The violent assault was among the deadliest antisemitic incidents in Europe since the Hamas-led massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
