UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday condemned the attack at a synagogue in Manchester, England, calling it “particularly heinous” and stressing that “houses of worship are sacred places where people can go to find peace.”

Guterres further voiced deep concern about “the alarming rise of antisemitism worldwide” and underscored the “urgent need to confront hatred and intolerance in all their forms.”

On October 2, during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, worshipers gathered for morning services at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, when a man drove a car into pedestrians near the synagogue’s gated entrance, then exited the vehicle and began stabbing congregants.

Greater Manchester Police were on scene within minutes, fatally shooting the attacker.

The attacker, identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, was a 35-year-old naturalized British citizen originally from Syria, had been wearing what appeared to be an explosive attached to his chest, which was later determined to be non-viable.

According to authorities, Al-Shamie had been arrested for rape and was out on bail when the attacks occurred.

The violence left multiple casualties: two worshipers were killed—53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz)—and at least three were seriously injured.

Law enforcement later acknowledged that one of the victims died from a police gunshot wound, apparently struck in the effort to stop the attacker.

Chief executive of Amnesty International UK Sacha Deshmukh also condemned the attack, stating: “Acts of violence have no place in our society and only serve to deepen division among communities. Now more than ever, it is crucial to stand in solidarity with one another and recognize that our strength lies in our diversity.”