London attack 'a potential act of terrorism'

The area around London Bridge and Borough Market remained cordoned off, while mainline and underground train stations were closed with no trains stopping. Picture: Hannah McKay/Reuters

The area around London Bridge and Borough Market remained cordoned off, while mainline and underground train stations were closed with no trains stopping. Picture: Hannah McKay/Reuters

Published Jun 4, 2017

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London - Assailants drove a van into

pedestrians at high speed on London Bridge on Saturday night

before stabbing revellers on nearby streets, killing at least

six people in what British authorities said they were treating

as a terrorist attack.

Armed police rushed to the scene and within eight minutes of

receiving the first emergency call had shot dead the three male

attackers in the Borough Market area near the bridge.

The attacks came just five days ahead of a parliamentary

election on Thursday. The ruling Conservative Party, opposition

Labour Party and the Scottish National Party all suspended

national campaigning on Sunday.

"I can confirm that the terrible incident in London is being

treated as a potential act of terrorism," Prime Minister Theresa

May said in a statement as events unfolded.

Flags were flying at half-mast over her Downing Street

residence on Sunday morning.

The area around London Bridge and Borough Market remained

cordoned off, while mainline and underground train stations were

closed with no trains stopping.

Forensic investigators could be seen working on London

Bridge, where buses and taxis stood abandoned.

We are all shocked and horrified by the brutal attacks in London. My statement: pic.twitter.com/xR7Vz1YOtV

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 4, 2017

It was the third attack to hit Britain in quick succession.

Less than two weeks ago, a suicide bomber killed 22 people

at a pop concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in

northern England, and in March a man killed five people after

driving into a crowd of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in

central London.

Grande and other acts were due to give a benefit concert at

Manchester's Old Trafford cricket ground on Sunday evening to

raise funds for victims of the concert bombing and their

families. The event was being prepared amid tight security.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the

latest attack in London.

"Sadly, six people have died in addition to the three

attackers shot by police," Mark Rowley, Britain's top

anti-terrorism officer, said. The three attackers had been

wearing what looked like explosive vests that were later found

to have been hoaxes.

London Bridge is a major transport hub and nearby Borough

Market is a fashionable warren of narrow alleyways packed with

bars and restaurants. The area is always bustling on a Saturday

night.

The BBC showed a photograph of two possible attackers shot

by police, one of whom had canisters strapped to his body. Hours

after the attack the area remained sealed off and patrolled by

armed police and counter-terrorism officers.

The London Ambulance Service said 48 people had been taken

to five hospitals across the city and a number of others had

been treated at the scene for minor injuries.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said some of those who had been

injured were in a critical condition.

Khan said the official threat level in Britain remained at

severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. It had been raised

to critical after the Manchester attack, then lowered again days

later.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan "appalled & furious" that "cowardly terrorists would deliberately target innocent Londoners" https://t.co/FqXOE9XXYc pic.twitter.com/FT8sHTgxlX

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) June 4, 2017

The mayor also said he did not think Thursday's election

should be postponed because of events in London.

"One of the things that we can do is show that we aren't

going to be cowed, is by voting on Thursday and making sure that

we understand the importance of our democracy, our civil

liberties and our human rights," Khan said.

Roy Smith, a police officer who was at the scene during the

unfolding emergency, expressed his shock on Twitter.

"Started shift taking photos with children playing on the

South Bank. Ended it giving CPR to innocent victims attacked at

London Bridge," he wrote, adding a broken heart emoji.

Witnesses described a white van careering into pedestrians

on the bridge.

"It looked like he was aiming for groups of people," Mark

Roberts, 53, a management consultant, told Reuters. He saw at

least six people on the ground after the van veered on and off

the pavement. "It was horrendous," he said.

A taxi driver told the BBC that three men got out of the van

with long knives and "went randomly along Borough High Street

stabbing people."

Witnesses described people running into a bar to seek

shelter.

"People started running and screaming, and the van crashes

into the railing behind. We went towards Borough Market and

everyone went inside (the bar)," one witness, who gave his name

as Brian, 32, told Reuters.

Another witness, who declined to be named, his white top

covered in blood, described a scene of panic in the bar.

"They hit the emergency alarm. There was a line of people

going down to the emergency exit. And then people started

screaming coming back up," the 31-year-old said.

Picture: Hannah McKay/Reuters

"Around the corner there was a guy with a stab wound on his

neck ... There was a doctor in the pub and she helped him. They

put pressure on the stab wound."

BBC radio said witnesses saw people throwing tables and

chairs at the attackers to protect themselves.

The BBC showed dozens of people being escorted to safety

through a police cordon with their hands on their heads.

Islamic State, losing territory in Syria and Iraq to an

advance backed by a U.S-led coalition, sent out a call on

instant messaging service Telegram early on Saturday urging its

followers to launch attacks with trucks, knives and guns against

"Crusaders" during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Similar attacks, in Berlin, Nice, Brussels and Paris, have

been carried out by Islamist militants over the past two years.

May was due to chair a meeting of the government's Cobra

security committee later on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to offer US help to Britain. The White House said he had been briefed on the

incidents by his national security team.

Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the U. K., we will be there - WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2017

German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a statement

expressing her sympathy.

"Today, we are united across all borders in horror and

sadness, but equally in determination. I stress for Germany: in

the fight against all forms of terrorism, we stand firmly and

decisively at the side of Great Britain," she said.

French president Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter that

"France is standing more than ever side by side with the UK".

Two French nationals were among those injured in the London

attack, Macron's office said in a statement. Australia said two

of its citizens were caught up in the attack and that one was in

hospital.

The Manchester bombing on May 22 was the deadliest attack in

Britain since July 2005, when four British Muslim suicide

bombers killed 52 people in coordinated attacks on London's

transport network. 

Reuters

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