New Delhi: India on Thursday condemned the deadly terror attack on a synagogue in Britain’s Manchester, and said it is yet another grim reminder of the challenge the world is facing from the “evil forces of terrorism”.
Two people were killed when an assailant drove a car into people outside the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester and then stabbed them.
New Delhi said it stands in solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom in this moment of grief.
India’s MEA statement read, “We condemn the terror attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester, during Yom Kippur services today. It is particularly saddening that this heinous act was committed on the International Day of Non-Violence.
This attack is yet another grim reminder of the challenge we face from the evil forces of terrorism, which the global community must combat and defeat through united and concerted action. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the city of Manchester. We stand in solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom in this moment of grief.”
The assault involved a car-ramming followed by mass stabbings outside the synagogue in northwest England. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that the suspect was “believed to be dead” after being shot by armed officers, though official confirmation was pending due to “suspicious items on his person.”
Footage from outside a nearby building showed two armed officers aiming at the accused, who was crouching. After gunshots were fired, the man collapsed to the ground, prompting emergency response teams to secure the area.
A bomb disposal unit was deployed to investigate whether the suspect had explosives. Police declared “Plato,” the national code word used in response to a “marauding terror attack,” signaling a high alert across the city.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, calling it horrific, particularly as it took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Starmer announced that additional police officers would be deployed at synagogues across the country to ensure public safety.
King Charles III also expressed that he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the attack, highlighting its grave impact on the local Jewish community.
Manchester was previously the site of Britain’s deadliest recent attack, the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that claimed 22 lives. Thursday’s incident reinforces concerns about global terrorism and the importance of coordinated security measures to protect places of worship and public gatherings.
