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Two victims fatally injured in an attack on a Jewish house of worship in Manchester have been identified by police as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.

Three more people are still hospitalized with serious injuries after the attacker drove a vehicle into pedestrians before attacking with a knife on Thursday.

The violent incident, which police have said was a act of terrorism, occurred on the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.

The attacker, who was fatally shot at the scene, was a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian background who was not on record to terrorism investigators, as stated by government sources.

Public Reaction

"Right now our hearts are shattered," the nation's top rabbinical authority commented.

During a conversation on a major broadcast, he said: "The tragic incident was a devastating impact to us, something which we had been concerned about might happen because of the build up."

The attack was not only "an extremely difficult period" for Jewish citizens nationwide "but for the entire nation," he continued.

Official Reaction

"Our obligation is to guarantee our Jewish community, our people can conduct their daily activities with protection and peace of mind," the Home Secretary announced.

"I do not want the Jewish community in our country to believe they must live a limited religious practice, that they cannot conduct their affairs and follow their beliefs and attend their religious centers in freedom," she stated.

The assailant was not recognized to terrorism investigators, she told news organizations, and it was "premature" to say if there was a organized group behind the attack.

Police Inquiry

The criminal probe was "continuing at pace" and there was an enhanced security deployment at religious institutions across the UK.

"Authorities allocate security funding," the representative commented, adding: "We must evaluate what additional measures we can implement to deal with rising antisemitism."

Law enforcement officials announced they were supporting the families of the two victims.

"Sincere condolences are with those affected by this tragedy at this profoundly challenging moment," 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 must be followed, we commit to being mindful of cultural preferences and needs and to guaranteeing that the deceased and their families' preferences are followed," he added, stating that the deceased individuals were from the local area.

Medical examinations are taking place on the next day, according to authoritative reports.