Police arrest 7 over London terror attack that killed 3
Britain’s top anti-terror officer says raids carried out at six addresses; 7 people in critical condition after vehicular, knife attack
Seven people have been arrested including in London and Birmingham over Wednesday’s terror attack at the British parliament, the police said on Thursday, revising down the number of victims to three people.
“We have searched six addresses and made seven arrests,” Britain’s top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley, who had earlier said there were four victims in the attack, told reporters in London.
The arrests were made following police “activity in London, Birmingham and elsewhere in the country,” Rowley added.
The new death toll included two members of the public — a woman in her mid-40s, a man in his mid-50s — and the 48 year-old police officer stabbed outside Parliament, named last night as PC Keith Palmer.
The attacker also died after being shot by an armed officer.
“It is still our belief… that this attacker acted alone yesterday and was inspired by international terrorism,” he said.
The police have said they believe they know the identity of the attacker but will not reveal it “at such a sensitive stage in our investigation.”
Rowley also said that 29 people were treated in hospital. The police had said on Wednesday that around 40 people were injured.
“Sadly seven of them are in a critical condition,” Rowley said.
Defiant British MPs meanwhile vowed to return to work as normal after the lightning attack on the iconic parliament building in the shadow of Big Ben.
Authorities worked around the clock to piece together what happened when carnage was sown in the heart of London as the attacker ran down several pedestrians on nearby Westminster Bridge then charged at a policeman at the parliament gates, stabbing him to death with a large knife.
Armed officers shot the attacker dead but not before he had killed two members of the public and the 48-year policeman guarding the seat of British political power in the deadliest attack in the country since 2005.
Press Association news agency photos believed to be of the attacker lying on an ambulance stretcher showed a burly man wearing black clothes and a beard.
