GMP said it was acting following a double stabbing of Jewish people in London earlier today
Police patrols are being stepped up in north Manchester following the stabbing of two Jewish men in London earlier today in a terrorist attack.
Greater Manchester Police made the announcement after shocking details emerged of the double stabbing in Golders Green.
A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he was seen running along Golders Green Road at around 11.16am. Jewish security group Shomrim reported on social media the individual was armed with a knife and “attempting to stab Jewish members of the public”.
In a statement this afternoon, GMP said: “We are aware of today’s events in Golders Green in north London. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the incident, particularly those in the Jewish community in that area. The safety of everyone remains our highest priority.
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“We have deployed extra patrols around the city-region, with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities in north Manchester, Bury and Salford. If you have any concerns, please report them to us by calling 999 in an emergency or 101.”
Higher Broughton, Cheetham Hill and Prestwich are already subject to an increased police presence, including armed cops.
Last year Adrian Daulby and and and Melvin Cravitz were killed during a terror attack at Heaton Park synagogue in October last year. Three men were jailed in February over a plot to kill as many Jews as possible in a planned attack on Jewish areas of Manchester in the summer of 2024.
Last month, four Jewish community ambulances were set alight in the middle of the night in London. Hatzola, the organisation targeted in that attack, provided treatment to the two men attacked today.
Speaking outside Scotland Yard shortly after 3pm on Wednesday, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor confirmed that the stabbing has been formally declared to be terrorism.
“This has now formally been declared a terrorist incident,” he told reporters. “Our highly specialised teams of officers are working with the Metropolitan Police to progress this investigation quickly and establish exactly what has happened.
“We’re also working with our partners in the security services to ensure we have a full intelligence picture, and one of the lines of inquiry is whether this attack was deliberately targeting the Jewish community in London.”
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Mr Taylor added: “That community will be incredibly concerned to see and hear what has happened today, particularly in the wake of other incidents in recent weeks. And that concern will be felt not just in the capital, but in communities and homes across the UK.
“I want to make it clear, that Counter Terrorism Policing and police forces up and down the country are mobilising to provide additional support and reassurance.”
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