MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Six people killed and 48 injured in terror incident in London; three attackers shot dead
Theresa May described Saturday night's events as “dreadful”, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called them “brutal and shocking”. 
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it was “a deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners”, but insisted Londoners would not be cowed by terrorism. 
A white van hit pedestrians on London Bridge at about 22:00 BST on Saturday, then three men got out and stabbed people in nearby Borough Market. Six people have been killed and at least 48 injured in a terror incident in London in which three male attackers were shot dead by police. A white van hit pedestrians on London Bridge at about 22:00 BST on Saturday, then three men got out and stabbed people in nearby Borough Market. Police said the three men were wearing fake bomb vests.
One of those hurt is a police officer who was stabbed after going to help. His injuries are not life-threatening.
The Conservatives, Labour and the SNP have suspended national general election campaigning and the prime minister is chairing a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee.
Theresa May described Saturday night's events as “dreadful”, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called them “brutal and shocking”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it was “a deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners”, but the capital remained the “safest global city” and Londoners would not be cowed by terrorism.
It is the third terror attack in the UK in three months following the car and knife attack in Westminster in March, which left five people dead, and the Manchester bombing less than two weeks ago, in which 22 people were killed.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said it was believed there were only three attackers involved and the explosive vests they were wearing were “hoaxes”. One social media user posted a photograph appearing to show an attacker lying on the ground outside a pub in the food market, with the fake vest visible.
Main developments: More than 80 medics were sent to the scene. The injured, some of them critical, are being treated in five London hospitals; The Met Police has set up a casualty bureau on 0800 096 1233 and 020 7158 0197 for people concerned about friends or relatives; Two Australian citizens “have been directly impacted,” says the country's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull; At least two French citizens have been injured, according to the French president's office, quoted by Reuters.
BBC reporter Holly Jones, who was on the bridge at the time of the attack, said the van was “probably travelling at about 50 miles an hour”.
“He swerved right round me and then hit about five or six people. He hit about two people in front of me and then three behind,” Ms Jones told the BBC News channel.
Another eyewitness, Robbie, was sitting in a taxi opposite the Barrowboy and Banker pub on London Bridge.
“I saw about 20 or 30 people rushing to get back into the pub and five seconds later a big white van came screeching down the pavement,” he told BBC Radio 5 live.
“Two or three people jumped out. Initially, I thought it was a road traffic incident and the people had jumped out to see if anyone was injured, but I could tell immediately, they looked very aggressive.”
His friend Josh came out of the pub a few seconds later and saw people running up to the bridge from Borough Market.
“A chap ran up and I heard him shout, 'He's got a knife, he's stabbing people.'”
Another witness, Gerard, told the BBC: “They were running up shouting, 'This is for Allah.' They stabbed this girl maybe 10 times, 15 times. She was going, 'Help me, help me.'”
Gerard said he chased the attackers, who were running into pubs and bars, and threw bottles, chairs and other items to try to stop them.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
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Read all commentsThere are a number of reasons why these kinds of terrorist attacks are so difficult to detect and prevent.
Jun 05th, 2017 - 04:57 am +5They don't require a grand conspiracy, or a long incubation period to be enacted. The willingness of the terrorists to die in the attack; the easy access to vast amounts of material on the internet both providing practical information and encouragement, and the youthfulness of many of these attackers - who are both more likely to be impulsive and are easier to manipulate - is a potent cocktail.
I believe alienation and resentment are as much a motive as any moral outrage regarding the West's participation in middle-eastern conflicts and given how common those two attributes are in any western country, the problems of detection are obvious.
Tobias the silly troll.
Jun 04th, 2017 - 01:37 pm +4The UK is one of the most cooperative countries in the world, unlike your beloved Argentina.
The UK provides intelligence on terrorism to many different countries in the world...even to Argentina.
Whereas the Argentine government made a deal with the terrorists who murdered Argentine citizens.
Must make you feel proud to know that the lives of Argentine citizens are disregarded so casually by your government.
In the meantime, in the grown up world, there needs to be more cooperation to combat extremism. There isn't enough, and too many looney left countries refuse to accept that its a problem.
So its time for a true international effort...starting, IMO, by placing sanctions against Saudi Arabia which funds many of these terrorists.
AO
Jun 05th, 2017 - 09:48 am +3It is a fact of human nature that you are more interested in your own neighbourhood than a distant land.
If someone was murdered in my town,it would get more column inches in our local press or TV news than someone murdered in a small town in England. If it happened in France, it would not make the news. The same with gang murders in Mexico, Brazil or any other distant country. They would get a brief mention and no more. People here would not be particularly interested as it is beyond their comprehension.
There are terrible atrocities in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Muslim countries. These are Muslims killing Muslims in the name of Allah the merciful and compassionate.
Muslim fundamentalists have a hatred of the western way of life and Christianity wherever it is practised. S.America is lucky because it is physically isolated from the problem. It is not because they think you are an OK region. The long term plan is to either convert the world to a barbaric misinterpretation of Islam or destroy the unbelievers.
Your time may yet come and being smug will not help you.
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