Britain · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
UK Police Arrest Two Men Over Suspected Terror Plot Targeting Manchester Jews on Yom Kippur
Two men in their 30s were arrested in Manchester under Section 41 of Terrorism Act. Alleged plot to target Manchester's Jewish community ahead of Yom Kippur.
Whether Islamist motives or Iran links are emphasised.
4 of 5 outlets skipped it: a raid involved MI5 and Scotland Yard elite counter-terror police.
15outlets compared
Same story, two versions
tap a side to read it in full
The Telegraph
“It is thought to be an Islamist plot, but security officials have still not ruled out the possibility that it could be linked to Iran.”Read the original ↗
The Guardian
“The Guardian understands that a far-right motive is thought to be unlikely.”Read the original ↗
The Telegraph leans into Islamist and possible Iran links, while The Guardian spotlights motive uncertainty and downplays specific links.
Arrests in Manchester
British counter-terrorism police arrested two men in their 30s on Sunday on Newton Street in the Northern Quarter in Manchester as Jews prepared for Yom Kippur. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said the arrests came from a "long-running proactive investigation" that had led to the disruption of what police believed was a plot to target the Jewish community in the Manchester area. The Metropolitan Police said the men were detained on suspicion of offences under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and were taken to a London police station for questioning.
Police said warrants of further detention meant the men could remain in police custody until 27 September, while searches at properties on Epworth Street in Liverpool and Lancaster Road in Salford were completed. The Community Security Trust described the suspected plot as "utterly chilling coming so close to the anniversary of the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue last year".
Police reassure, CST reacts
Vicki Evans told the public that police were aware the news would cause "further concern" to the Jewish community, especially given the significant High Holy day period. Evans said police were working closely with colleagues in Greater Manchester Police and partners to ensure they were doing "everything we can to keep them and the wider public safe." The Community Security Trust said the arrests were another reminder of the serious terrorist threat facing Jewish communities in this current time, and it urged the Jewish community to remain calm and alert.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism warned that "attacks keep coming" and called on the Government to stamp out anti-Semitism. The Manchester Evening News said specialist counter terror cops from the Metropolitan Police descended on Newton Street at 2.34pm on Sunday, arresting two men and then carrying out a second swoop at a hostel on Lancaster Road in Salford and a raid on a flat in Liverpool.
Custody, searches, and next steps
The Metropolitan Police said the investigation related to a "suspected terrorist plot to target the Jewish community in the Manchester area" and the two suspects remained in police custody after being taken to a London police station for questioning. The BBC reported that detectives had obtained warrants of further detention for both men, meaning they could remain in police custody until 27 September, while police confirmed searches at Epworth Street in Liverpool and Lancaster Road in Salford had been completed. The Guardian said police believed they had stopped an imminent plot and that the announcement on Tuesday followed the arrest of two men on Sunday at 2.45pm in Manchester.T
The Guardian also said police would not officially say what the motive was, nor the nationality or ethnicity of those detained, while it noted that Islamist extremism was among possible motives under consideration. TThe Jewish Chronicle said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans told the public that police were pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and anticipated they would continue over the coming days as the investigation continued.