On the London bridge in the central area of the British capital, a knife attack was again attacked by passers-by. The incident was reported to the city police at about 14:00 local time (17:00 Moscow time). The attacker was shot dead by law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene of an emergency. At the same time, the city police consider this incident as a terrorist attack.
“I can confirm that the incident was declared a terrorist act,” said Neil Basu, head of the counter-terrorism unit of the metropolitan police.
He also said that a belt was fixed on the man’s body, which turned out to be a fake explosive device. Police officers continue to check nearby areas to ensure that there are no other security threats. In addition, cordons will be temporarily strengthened at the bridge.
“We will strengthen police patrols both in the city and in the country. I also ask the public to remain vigilant and report any incidents to the police, ”Basu explained.
According to him, the motives of the crime are being clarified.
Basu also said that several people were injured in the attack. Meanwhile, according to British media, the number of passersby who received stab wounds can exceed 10 people. Also, a number of publications, citing sources, said that several people died from the wounds received, but there is no confirmation of this data.
The Russian Embassy in the UK said they were in touch with the British authorities. At the moment, the diplomatic mission does not have information that among the victims are Russian citizens.
“We urge Russian citizens to exercise caution, avoid crowded places, especially in tourist-attractive areas, as well as remain vigilant and strictly follow the recommendations of law enforcement agencies,” the report said.
“What happened is just monstrous”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was promptly informed of the incident in London.
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The British prime minister expressed gratitude to the emergency services and ordinary citizens "for how incredibly courageous they reacted to the alleged terrorist attack on the London Bridge."
“What happened is simply monstrous. My thoughts are with the victims and their families, ”Johnson said in a statement.
According to him, all those involved in this crime will be found and brought to justice.
London Mayor Sadik Khan also pointed to the “outstanding heroism” of the inhabitants of London, who, prior to the arrival of the police, tried to neutralize the attacker. Photos appeared on social networks as unknown persons took a knife from an attacker and knocked them to the ground.
“We must and we will remain decisive in our commitment to be strong and united in the face of terrorism. Those who try to attack us and divide us will never succeed, ”the mayor wrote on Twitter.
In addition, Khan said that some of the victims received "serious injuries."
US President Donald Trump was also informed about the incident. According to White House spokesman Judd Deere, the American leader is monitoring the situation in the capital of England.
“The United States strongly condemns all the terrible acts of violence against innocent people. We promise to provide full support to our ally, ”he said.
UK attacks in 2017
Great Britain did not face terrorist crimes for just over two years. However, in 2017, five terrorist attacks occurred in the United Kingdom.
On March 22, an attacker hit people at Westminster Bridge, after which he attacked police and passers-by. Four were killed, not counting the attacker, 49 people were injured.
On May 22, an explosion occurred at the Manchester Arena stadium during a concert by American singer Ariana Grande. 22 people were killed, including several children, more than 250 were injured.
On the morning of September 15, an explosion occurred at the Parsons Green station in the London Underground, resulting in several dozen injured.
On the evening of June 3, 2017, a van on the London Bridge ran into pedestrians, after which three terrorists with knives stepped out of it and began to attack people. Their actions resulted in the death of eight and injuring 48 people.
The responsibility for all these attacks was assumed by the Islamic State terrorist group *.
In addition, on the night of June 19, Darren Osborne, driving a van, drove into a crowd of people near a mosque in the London district of Finsbury Park. More than ten people were injured, one of whom died.
* “Islamic State” (IG) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.