The terrorist who killed two Jewish men outside a synagogue on the holiest day of the religion’s calendar was a British citizen of Syrian descent, police said.
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack in connection with the killings carried out by Jihad Al-Shamie, Greater Manchester Police added.
Al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by police seven minutes after officers were alerted to the attack on Thursday morning.
The force said two men aged in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism connected to the incident.
It is understood that Al-Shamie’s name has not appeared in initial searches of police and security service records, and he is not thought to have been under current investigation.
Further checks are being carried out to see if any of his details appear anywhere in records of other investigations.
