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Two men losing their lives in an attack on a Jewish house of worship in Manchester have been named by police as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.

Three additional individuals continue receiving medical care with critical wounds after the attacker drove a vehicle into individuals before using a bladed weapon on the morning of the incident.

The attack, which police have said was a act of terrorism, occurred on Judaism's holiest day, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.

The assailant, who was shot dead at the scene, was a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent who was not on record to counter terrorism police, per security officials.

Community Response

"We are devastated," the nation's top rabbinical authority stated.

During a conversation on a national radio program, he stated: "The tragic incident was a terrible shock to us, something which actually we were fearing might happen because of the escalating tensions."

The attack was not only "a very dark time" for Jews in Britain "but for the entire nation," he added.

Government Response

"Our responsibility is to make sure our Jewish community, our citizens can conduct their daily activities with security and assurance," a cabinet minister declared.

"It is unacceptable that Jewish people in our country to feel compelled to live a smaller Jewish life, that they cannot go about their business and practice their faith and visit their worship places in liberty," she continued.

The assailant was not recognized to security services, she stated to broadcasters, and it was "too early" to say if there was a organized group behind the attack.

Police Inquiry

The law enforcement inquiry was "progressing rapidly" and there was an additional law enforcement visibility at religious institutions across the UK.

"The government does provide safety resources," the minister said, adding: "It will be necessary to examine what more we can do to deal with increasing anti-Jewish sentiment."

Law enforcement officials confirmed they were assisting the relatives of the two victims.

"Our heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragedy at this extremely hard time," the lead investigator expressed.

He confirmed that designated family representatives were in communication with families and would continue to support them through the investigative procedures.

"Although procedures exist which must be followed, we commit to being mindful of community customs and sensitivities and to ensuring that these men and their relatives' requests are followed," he added, stating that the deceased individuals were from Crumpsall.

Post-mortems are being conducted on the next day, per authoritative reports.