UK Synagogue Attacker Pledged Allegiance to ISIS During Emergency Call: Police

Police say a Syrian-born attacker who rammed a car into a group of Jewish people and then stabbed several men outside a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Oct. 2, made a call to the emergency services in which he pledged allegiance to the ISIS terrorist group.

Two men, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died in the attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, although Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said on Oct. 3 that one of the men “would appear to have suffered a wound consistent with a gunshot injury” and that “this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence” of shots fired by armed police who had rushed to the scene and eventually shot the alleged attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, dead.

The head of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, said on Oct. 8, “Minutes after the first call was made to GMP, and as firearms officers were making their way to the scene, Al-Shamie called 999 claiming responsibility for the attack.”

He also pledged allegiance to ISIS, Potts said.

Counterterrorism police arrested six people in the immediate aftermath of the attack, but they released two without charge on Oct. 4, and the other four were also released without charge on Oct. 8.

The police are now working on the basis that Al-Shamie, a Syrian-born UK citizen, was a lone wolf who had been influenced by extremist Islamist ideology.

The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when worshippers traditionally spend the day fasting and in prayer.

‘Week of Deep Trauma’

Giving an update on the investigation, Potts said, “This has been a week of deep trauma and mourning for the Jewish community at a time when they should have been observing one of the holiest periods in the calendar of their faith.”

He said the police’s efforts were focused on establishing the truth for all of those affected and the wider community.

Potts said Al-Shamie was seen acting suspiciously outside the synagogue on the morning of Oct. 2 and was confronted by members of the Community Security Trust (CST), which provides security for various Jewish sites in England.

He walked away when challenged, and the police were not called, he said.

Potts said: “Around 15 minutes later, he returned to the scene in a black Kia vehicle and deliberately drove the car at innocent members of the public before colliding with a wall. He then stepped out of the vehicle armed with a knife and resumed his attack.”

Al-Shamie had a second knife on him and was also wearing a hoax explosive vest, which was a “non-viable device,” the police said.

The police said that at the time of the attack, Al-Shamie was out on bail for an alleged rape.

Potts confirmed that the attacker had never been referred to Prevent—the British government program designed to assess and manage people at risk of radicalization—and was unknown to counterterrorism policing officers.

“At this stage of our investigation, we are more confident that he was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology,” he said. “This remains a live counter-terrorism investigation.”

Potts appealed to anyone with material that could potentially be useful to share it with the police.

3 Still in Hospital

Following the incident, three men remain hospitalized with serious injuries, including a security guard who was hit by Al-Shamie’s car, and a CST worker who was stabbed.

On Oct. 2, the CST issued a statement, saying: “It is highly likely that the swift actions of security guards and volunteers, congregants and police officers at Heaton Park Synagogue prevented further casualties and we pay tribute to their courage.

“This is exactly why we have such strong security across our community and it is vital to ensure all security procedures are followed as strictly as possible.”

ISIS terrorists fought in Syria and Iraq from 2013, but the group was largely defeated by late 2018 or early 2019.

It remains a potent symbol for lone wolf jihadist attackers across the world, including Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who claimed allegiance to ISIS before an attack in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year’s Day.