Several killed, injured in attacks in central London: Van plows into pedestrians, stabbings, shots fired
Incidents ongoing overnight; witnesses report vehicle mounted London Bridge sidewalk in apparent ramming attack; police also dealing with attack at nearby Borough Market
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Police were dealing with a “major incident” of terrorism on London Bridge and another in nearby Borough Market late on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
Hours after first reports of the attacks, large areas of central London were still cordoned off, and the incidents were still ongoing. There were reports of several fatalities.
On London Bridge, witnesses reported seeing a van hitting pedestrians after mounting the pavement. Stabbings were reported in the Borough Market attack.
Hundreds fled the scenes of the attacks.
Prime Minister Theresa May said it was a potential act of terrorism and the Metropolitan Police force said it had declared the attacks as “terrorist incidents.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the bridge area incidents as “deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners.”
A third incident, in nearby Vauxhall, was apparently contained.
BBC news reported more than one person had died in the London Bridg
“Police are dealing with a major incident and all routes are being diverted,” the Transport for London agency said, as the London Ambulance Service said “multiple resources” were sent to the scene of the London Bridge attack.
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A number of witnesses told UK media outlets that they also saw at least one man stabbing pedestrians at the London Bridge scene.
Police also advised the public in the area to run from the scene of any attack, and to stay inside.
#Londonbridge #boroughmarket #vauxhall pic.twitter.com/a7OciBEBjH
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 3, 2017
Witnesses said a white van mounted the pavement before driving into people in what they described as a deliberate ramming attack.
Officers have then responded to reports of stabbings in #BoroughMarket. Armed officers responded and shots have been fired. 2/3
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 3, 2017
Will Heaven, managing editor of The Spectator, said on Twitter that he saw “two casualties — one on pavement, one edge of road” and reported seeing armed police on the bridge.
BBC reporter Holly Jones, who was there at the time of the incident, said she saw a van driven by a man traveling “at about 50 miles an hour”.
She said about five people were being treated for injuries after the vehicle mounted the pavement and hit them.
“There’s several police boats with torchlights searching the Thames at the moment,” she told BBC radio.
She added that she saw a man, who had his shirt off and was in handcuffs, being arrested by police.
Police said they were also responding to a separate incident at Borough Market, a popular tourist area with restaurants and bars a short distance from London Bridge, where a vehicle was reported to have hit pedestrians.
At least two witnesses said they heard significant gunfire. The Metropolitan Police force said armed officers were responding, and that shots had been fired.
Officers are now responding to an incident in the #Vauxhall area. 3/3
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 3, 2017
Witnesses reported seeing injured people on the ground on the bridge. Police closed a nearby railway station and told people to get away from the area.
The London Ambulance Service told people to stay away from the scene.
Multiple resources attending an incident at #LondonBridge, please avoid the area. Only call 999 in an emergency. ➡️ @metpoliceuk for updates
— LAS Resilience Team (@LAS_TacAdvisor) June 3, 2017
A number of people were being treated at the scene for injuries.
The London Bridge incident is reminiscent of the Westminster Bridge terror attack in March in which five people were killed and more than 50 wounded.
The attacker in that case, 52-year-old British Muslim convert Khalid Mahmood, rammed his car into pedestrians before crashing into the barriers surrounding parliament and then stabbing a police officer to death.
He was then shot dead by police at the scene. Investigators later described the lone-wolf attack as “Islamist related terrorism”.
It also comes less than two weeks after 22 people, including seven children, were killed in a suicide bombing at the end of a pop concert at the Manchester Arena.
Manchester-born Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old of Libyan origin, was named as the bomber.
British Prime Minister Theresa May was receiving regular updates on the developing situation, Downing Street said.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said President Donald Trump had been briefed by his national security team on the incident, CNN reported.
The latest incident is reminiscent of the March Westminster Bridge terror attack in which five people were killed and more than 50 wounded.
The attacker, 52-year-old British Muslim convert Khalid Mahmood rammed his car into pedestrians before crashing into the barriers surrounding parliament and then stabbing a police officer to death. He was then shot dead by police at the scene. Investigators later described the lone-wolf attack as “Islamist related terrorism.”
It also comes less than two weeks after 22 people, including seven children, were killed in a suicide bombing at the end of a pop concert at the Manchester Arena.
Manchester-born Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old of Libyan origin, was named as the bomber.
The Times of Israel Community.