The terrorists were shot dead by police within 15 minutes of alert.
Seven people have been killed and 48 others injured in a terror attack in London late on Saturday night with the police shooting down three attackers in the low-tech carnage in which attackers used long knives to stab and slash and a high speed van to mow into a crowd.
The attack took place just days before a general election (June 8) and two weeks after 22 people were killed in a terror attack in Manchester. Security has been beefed up all across the United Kingdom and the Indian cricket team which is to play Pakistan at Edgbaston in the Champions Trophy has been given extra security cover. The hotel the Indian players are in is in a lockdown mode, with no traffic being allowed near it.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said the attack began on Saturday night when a white van mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge. The suspects then left the vehicle and started stabbing people in pubs and bars who were out in large numbers since it was Saturday. While Rowley didn’t give the exact number of those stabbed, he said it included an “on-duty British Transport Police officer who was responding to the incident at London Bridge”.
“Armed officers responded very quickly and bravely, confronting three male suspects who were shot and killed in Borough Market,” he said. “The suspects were wearing what looked like explosive vests but these were later established to be hoaxes.”
Rowley said it was believed there were only three attackers involved. “We are treating this as a terrorist incident and a full investigation is already underway,” he added. AFP quoted an eyewitness telling the BBC that the attackers were saying, “This is for Allah.”
UK Prime Minister Theresa May described the Saturday night’s attack “dreadful” and will chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Sunday. It is said that May had very recently scaled down the terror grading in the British megapolis. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called it a “deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners.”
US President Donald Trump assured all help to London and the UK. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed shock and condemned the attack.
This is the third terror attack in the UK in last three months following the car and knife attack in Westminster in March leaving 5 people killed and the Manchester arena bombing on May 22, in which 22 persons were killed.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Just after 10 pm British Standard Time, terrorists in van travelling at high speed, said to be 90 kmph, slams into pedestrians crossing the London Bridge.
- Three men step out of the van with long knives and start stabbing at people and make their way to Borough Market.
- They enter a pub which is packed to the brim because it is Saturday and start attacking people before police shoot them down.