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Two men fatally injured in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester have been identified by authorities as Adrian Daulby, aged 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.

Three more people continue receiving medical care with critical wounds after Jihad Al-Shamie used an automobile into individuals before stabbing others on Thursday morning.

The assault, which authorities have declared was a terrorist incident, came on the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish tradition.

The attacker, who was shot dead at the location, was a thirty-five-year-old UK national of Syrian heritage who was not previously known to counter-terrorism authorities, according to security officials.

Public Reaction

"Right now our hearts are shattered," the UK's Chief Rabbi declared.

Speaking to a prominent media outlet, he stated: "The tragic incident was a devastating impact to us, something which actually we were fearing might happen because of the build up."

The attack was not only "an extremely difficult period" for Jews in Britain "but for all of our society," he emphasized.

Security Measures

"Our obligation is to make sure our Jewish population, our citizens can conduct their daily activities with security and assurance," the Home Secretary announced.

"It is unacceptable that the Jewish community in our country to believe they must live a limited religious practice, that they cannot pursue their activities and practice their faith and attend their religious centers in freedom," she continued.

The perpetrator was not known to terrorism investigators, she told media outlets, and it was "too early" to say if there was a terrorist cell behind the attack.

Police Inquiry

The police investigation was "progressing rapidly" and there was an enhanced security deployment at religious institutions across the UK.

"The government does provide protective measures," the minister said, adding: "I think we will have to consider what additional measures we can implement to address growing religious prejudice."

Local authorities said they were supporting the families of the two deceased individuals.

"My deepest sympathies are with the families of the victims at this extremely hard time," a senior police officer declared.

He said that specialized support personnel were in contact with them and would provide ongoing help through the investigative procedures.

"While protocols must be followed which require adherence, we pledge to remain sensitive of community customs and concerns and to guaranteeing that the victims and their relatives' requests are followed," he said, stating that the deceased individuals were from the Manchester community.

Post-mortems are being conducted on Friday, as confirmed by official sources.