Two held over suspected plot targeting Manchester Jews

Two men have been arrested over a suspected plot to target the Jewish community in Manchester, counter-terrorism police said on Tuesday.

The men, who are in their 30s, were arrested in the northern British city on September 20 on suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000, police said. They remain in police custody in London.

Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said a long-running investigation had “led to the disruption of what we believe to be a plot to target the Jewish community in the Manchester area.”

The arrests came nearly a year after a knife and gun attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in northern Manchester, where worshippers had gathered for Yom Kippur. Two people died in that attack on October 2, 2025.

Yom Kippur this year was observed from Sunday evening to Monday night. Evans said police were aware the news would cause further concern to the Jewish community and the wider public during the High Holy Day period.

The Community Security Trust, a charity that provides safety advice to Jewish groups, described the suspected plot and its timing as “utterly chilling.” The past year has seen a series of attacks in London targeting Jewish or Israel-linked locations.