Police in England announced Thursday that the dead assailant responsible for the Yom Kippur attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in north Manchester was a British citizen of Syrian descent.

Further, three people have been arrested and remain in custody on suspicion of commission, preparation, and instigation of acts of terrorism: two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s, Greater Manchester Police said in a statement. 

Although formal identification is still pending, officers believe the person responsible for the attack is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie. A suspicious device worn by the attacker was assessed by specialists and found to be unviable.

Police declared the deadly rampage on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, a terrorist attack. Authorities said Al-Shamie rammed his car into pedestrians and stabbed people. 

Greater Manchester Police said their records show no previous Prevent referrals — when someone raises a concern that a person may be vulnerable to radicalization — relating to Al-Shamie.

Two men were pronounced dead after the attack. Three other men are hospitalized with serious injuries: One suffered a stab wound, a second was struck by the vehicle involved in the attack, and a third later went to the hospital with an injury that may have been suffered as officers stopped the assailant, police said.

Police said they continue working to identify the dead and to support their families, the injured, and the community. Officers continue to investigate and are working to establish the motive for the attack.

Further updates will be provided as the investigation unfolds.

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