British authorities on Thursday arrested a 31-year-old man in connection with the terror attack that left two people dead and three others seriously wounded at a Manchester shul on Yom Kippur.

Greater Manchester Police said the suspect was taken into custody at Manchester Airport after arriving on an inbound flight. He is being held on suspicion of the “commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism,” indicating investigators believe he played a significant role in the attack’s planning or execution.

The terrorist — 35-year-old Syria-born British national Jihad Al-Shamie — rammed his car into pedestrians outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue before stabbing others and attempting to force his way inside. Al-Shamie, who police say had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terror group, was shot dead by responding officers.

The attack claimed the lives of Melvin Cravitz, 66, who was stabbed, and Adrian Daulby, 53, who was tragically killed by a police bullet as congregants barricaded the shul doors to stop Al-Shamie from entering. Three additional men were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Police have struggled to untangle the network around the attacker. Six people were arrested in the days following the assault, but five were released without charge. A 30-year-old man accused of withholding information remains out on bail as the investigation continues.

Thursday’s arrest marks the most significant development in the case since October and suggests counterterrorism officers are still probing potential facilitators or accomplices.

Investigators have not commented on whether Thursday’s arrest ties into ISIS’s international network or whether the suspect helped Al-Shamie obtain weapons, plan the attack, or attempt entry into the shul.

For now, Greater Manchester Police say only that the arrest “represents a significant step forward” in the ongoing counterterror probe.

The investigation remains active, and additional arrests are possible.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)