One suspect left in custody over London attack

Counterterrorism officials still working to determine if UK-born terrorist Khalid Masood was ‘encouraged or directed’ by anyone

LONDON – British police said Saturday they had released a man arrested over this week’s terror attack on parliament, leaving just one suspect in custody.

A total of 11 people were held on suspicion of preparation of terrorist attacks in the wake of Wednesday’s rampage at Westminster, which left four people and the assailant dead.

Only a 58-year-old man arrested on Thursday in Birmingham, the central English city where the assailant Khalid Masood lived, remained in custody on Saturday evening.

One of the ten others who were released, a 32-year-old woman, is on bail — the others have all been freed with no further action, according to a Metropolitan Police statement.

This is an undated photo released by the Metropolitan Police of Khalid Masood. Authorities identified Masood, a 52-year-old Briton, as the man who mowed down pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament in London, saying he had a long criminal record and once was investigated for extremism — but was not currently on a terrorism watch list. (Metropolitan Police via AP)

Masood, a 52-year-old Briton with a history of violent offenses, was shot by police on Wednesday after driving into crowds on Westminster Bridge and then stabbing a policeman inside the gates of parliament.

The Islamic State group claimed one of its “soldiers” carried out the attack, the worst in Britain since the July 2005 bombings which left 52 people dead.

Counter-terrorism commander Mark Rowley said there was no further threat but police were trying to establish whether Masood acted alone “or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him.”