Seven people have died and at least 48 have been injured following a terrorist attack in London. It is the third terrorist attack to take place in the country, following last month’s bombing on the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester and the attack on Westminster in March. Police have arrested 12 people in the east London neighbourhood of Barking since the attack late on Saturday night.
Prime Minister Theresa May decried the “evil ideology” of “Islamist extremism,” as she laid out how the country’s tackling of “one of the greatest challenges of our time” needed to change.
Three assailants drove a van at high speed across London Bridge, by one of the city’s busiest stations, at around 10 p.m. local time on Saturday, before ferociously attacking people with knives around Borough Market, a popular and lively area with pubs, restaurants and shops.
Shot dead
The three attackers were wearing what appeared to be explosive vests, but turned out to be hoaxes, and were shot dead by police within 8 minutes of the first call to emergency services. Police forces are reviewing their presence across the capital in the coming days, with extra police set to be deployed across the city. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
In the aftermath of the attack London’s police force used a new warning system urging people to “Run, Hide, Tell,” outlining the ways in which people should respond if caught up in an attack.
Ahead of poll
The attack comes days before the general election is due to take place, and after Britain’s threat level was reduced back to “severe” after being raised to its highest level “critical” following the Manchester attack. The threat level will now remain at severe, which means an attack remains “highly likely.”
The main political parties said they would be suspending election campaigning till the end of the day, though campaigns at a more local level are set to continue.
The far right UKIP party, however, said it would not be suspending its campaign.
The attack is the second on the city in three months, following the attack on Westminster Bridge and Parliament Square in March, in which the lone attacker also used a vehicle to mow down pedestrians, and then attacked and killed a policeman outside Parliament with a knife. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on the city’s residents to remain calm and vigilant.
Londoners tried to fight off assailants
Condemning the terror attack, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I am appalled and furious that these twisted and cowardly terrorists deliberately targeted Londoners and visitors to our city who were just enjoying their Saturday night.”
Eyewitness accounts and video clips sent to media outlets have built up a horrific picture of what had happened. Holly Jones, a BBC reporter who was on the bridge as the attack took place, said the van drove at high speed, veering into pedestrians.
“It was swerving violently, mounting the pavement fully, then swerving back into the road,” Sunday Times journalist Ian Houghton who was at the scene at the time of the attack told his paper.
‘This is for Allah’
A transport police officer was among the injured after he attempted to confront the attackers armed only with a baton.
Those around Borough Market spoke of the moments when the three men began entering venues around the area, attacking people with knives, as other members of the public sought to thwart them, by throwing bottles and chairs. One eyewitness told the BBC that one of the attackers had shouted “this is for Allah” before launching an attack on a woman.
