The synagogue attack in Manchester

Victim in Manchester may have been shot by police by mistake

One of those killed in Thursday's terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester may have died from gunshot wounds from police, Manchester police said in a statement.

An autopsy shows that one of the men killed had gunshot wounds. Since the perpetrator did not have a firearm, Manchester police conclude that they were shot by police by mistake during the operation.

One of those being treated in hospital also has gunshot wounds. That person's condition is not life-threatening.

Police name knifeman after Manchester attack

British police have named the man who killed two people and injured two more at a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday. 35-year-old Jihad al-Shamie was killed by police at the scene after the terrorist attack.

According to the BBC, al-Shamie came to Britain from Syria as a child. In 2006, he became a British citizen. He had previously worked as a teacher of English and programming, ITV reports.

A spokesman for the Manchester Police says that al-Shamie was not listed in the government's anti-terror program Prevent.

Analysis: The terrorist attack was only a matter of time

Several British newspapers are linking the attack on the Manchester synagogue to the Gaza war. If confirmed, it would be the first time that the war has shown its ugly face on British soil, writes Larisa Brown in an analysis in The Times.

"British intelligence services have feared an attack on home soil since the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7," she writes.

Sky News also makes the connection. It was only a matter of time, given how anti-Semitism and hate crimes against Jews have increased since the start of the war, writes Jason Farrell. Sadly, the protection of Jewish lives, schools and synagogues must now be further strengthened, he concludes.

A key priority now will be to find out who the perpetrator Jihad Al-Shamie had contact with before the attack, writes the BBC's Frank Gardner. Since 2022, the country's terror threat level has been at "significant", but there has been talk that it could be raised to "severe".

"Much will be determined by the clues that can now be extracted from al-Shamie's digital footprint, such as the numbers saved on his phone and his online activity."