Counter-Terrorism Police Foil Suspected Plot Against Manchester's Jewish Community Ahead of Yom Kippur

Two men in their 30s were arrested on Newton Street in central Manchester on 20 September 2026 under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, hours before Yom Kippur began, following what Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officers described as a 'long-running proactive investigation' into a suspected plot to target Manchester's Jewish community. Searches were also carried out at addresses in Salford and Liverpool, and the men were taken to a London police station where a warrant extended their detention to Sunday 27 September. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said police did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public but acknowledged the arrests would concern the Jewish community, particularly during the High Holy Days; enhanced policing was stepped up around synagogues in the Manchester area. The timing fell one year after Jihad Al Shamie's October 2025 terrorist attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue, which killed two worshippers on Yom Kippur. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the policing response was 'necessary, but not sufficient,' adding 'we cannot expect our Jewish community to live behind higher walls' and that antisemitism had to be addressed 'at its source.'