The attacker who killed two people outside the synagogue in Heaton Park in a suburb of the English city of Manchester yesterday, on the eve of the biggest holiday for the Jewish community, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), is a British citizen of Syrian origin named Jihad al-Shami, the city's police announced, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack in connection with the murders he carried out, the law enforcement authorities added.
Thirty-five-year-old al-Shami was shot dead at the scene by Manchester police 7 minutes after officers were notified of the attack yesterday morning.
Police announced that two men in their 30s and a woman in their 60s were arrested on suspicion of committing, preparing and inciting acts of terrorism.
Jihad al-Shami was not registered for suspected terrorist activity and was not under investigation, initial police and security checks show.
Further checks are being carried out to see if any of his details have surfaced elsewhere in the course of other investigations.
Manchester Police said its officers were "working to understand the motive behind the attack" and confirmed that the attacker was not on the UK government's terrorism prevention register.