British counter-terrorism authorities say they have disrupted a suspected terrorist plot aimed at the Jewish community in the Manchester area, with two men arrested as part of a
long-running investigation.
The two suspects, both in their 30s, were detained in central Manchester on Sunday under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Officers also carried out searches at locations in Salford and Liverpool as investigators continued to establish the full circumstances of the alleged plot. The men were subsequently taken to London, where they remained in custody while inquiries continued.
Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation had been conducted proactively over an extended period and had resulted in the disruption of what officers believe was a plan to target Jewish people in the Manchester area.
Police said they do not currently believe there is an ongoing threat to the public. Nevertheless, Greater Manchester Police has increased security measures around Jewish communities and places of worship as the Jewish High Holy Days get under way.
The arrests come almost a year after a deadly terrorist attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester. On October 2, 2025, two worshippers, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, were killed and three others were seriously injured. Police said the attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, was a British citizen of Syrian descent who had pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
The investigation into that attack has continued since last year. In July 2026, Mohammed Asim Bashir was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 17 years, after pleading guilty to preparing acts of terrorism. Counter-terrorism investigators said he had conducted hostile reconnaissance of a UK military facility with Al-Shamie before the synagogue attack.
The latest arrests have heightened concerns within Manchester's Jewish community because they coincide with the High Holy Days, one of the most significant periods in the Jewish religious calendar.
Evans acknowledged that news of another suspected plot would be particularly troubling for Jewish residents and the wider public. She said counter-terrorism officers were working closely with Greater Manchester Police and other agencies to strengthen security and protect communities during the religious period.
The arrests also come amid broader concerns over antisemitism and threats against Jewish communities in Britain. Police and Jewish community organisations have reported a rise in antisemitic incidents since the Hamas attacks of October 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza. Earlier in 2026, authorities investigated a series of attacks against Jewish-linked targets in London, as well as a suspected terrorist stabbing incident involving two Jewish men.
Police have not publicly disclosed the alleged targets, the nature of the suspected attack or the evidence underpinning the investigation. The two men have been arrested but have not been charged, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Authorities have urged the public and members of the Jewish community to remain vigilant while stressing that there is currently no indication of an active threat.
This version keeps the central facts while substantially restructuring the article, adding the relevant background and making clear which information comes from police and which remains subject to investigation. Photo by David Dixon, Wikimedia commons.
