The United Nations is condemning a stabbing attack at a synagogue in northern England.

Reading a statement on behalf of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said “Houses of worship are sacred places where people can go to find peace. Targeting a synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, is particularly heinous.”

An assailant drove a car into people outside the synagogue and then began stabbing them, killing two and seriously wounding four in a terrorist attack.

Police said they killed the suspect in Wednesday's assault, though it took authorities some time to confirm he was dead because he was wearing a vest that suggested he had an explosive.

Haq said Guterres extends his deepest condolences to the victims and their families and stands in solidarity with the Jewish community, adding that “the Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the alarming rise of antisemitism worldwide and stresses the urgent need to confront hatred and intolerance in all their forms.”

The Metropolitan Police in London, who lead counter-terrorism policing operations, declared the rampage a terrorist attack. Two other suspects were arrested.