Armed police raid The Blue Eyed Maid in Borough high street at London Bridge on June 3, 2017 in London, England. Police have responded to reports of a van hitting pedestrians on London Bridge in central London. (Getty)
The London Bridge terror attack suspects shouted “This is for Allah” as they committed the coordinated assaults in central London, according to witness accounts given to BBC and Sky News.
The attackers “yelled” the comment, according to CBS News.
Witnesses described three terrorists, some armed with knives, who staged twin attacks at London Bridge and adjacent Borough Market on June 3. According to NZ Herald, a cab driver who witnessed the attacks said, “They just had these long blades, about 12 inches long. They just went randomly along Borough High Street stabbing people. A young girl got stabbed in the chest, she was laying there – it’s so sad.”
Police officers and members of the emergency services attend to a person injured in an apparent terror attack on London Bridge in central London on June 3, 2017. (Getty)
Police said all three terrorists were shot dead by authorities.
First, a terrorist drove a van at about 50 miles per hour into a crowd of people on London Bridge, leaving bodies lying in the road. UK Telegraph reported that the van knocked people into the Thames River below the iconic bridge.
A social media user posted a photo of one of attackers lying on the ground and wearing canisters. The photo was published by the BBC and other news outlets in England.
Suspect shot by police with gas canisters around him t.co/FR4ahtw0ve #LondonBridge
The picture originated from an Instagram account:
Then, a group of attackers, wielding knives, stormed Borough Market establishments and stabbed people “indiscriminately,” according to the Telegraph. The British news site reported that “three men wielding knives 10 inches long began attacking passersby, even entering at least one restaurant to attack Saturday night diners.”
The suspects have not yet been identified. Seven people were killed and 48 injured. The attacks come just about two weeks after an ISIS-claimed explosion killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, and only three months after a terrorist mowed people down at Westminster Bridge in London.
Police told people to get down as they rushed to the scene.
One witness described the horrific scene to Sky News, “We saw people running away and then I saw a man in red with a large blade, at a guess 10 inches long, stabbing a man, about three times. It looked like the man had been trying to intervene, but there wasn’t much he could do. He was being stabbed quite coldly and he slumped to the ground.”
Videos and photos captured the chaos and urgency at the scene.
Police officers clear the area near Borough market at London Bridge on June 3, 2017 in London, England. Police have responded to reports of a van hitting pedestrians on London Bridge in central London. (Getty)
“Enough is enough,” vowed Prime Minister Theresa May, who expressed concern about copy cat terrorist attacks.
According to BBC, Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, released a statement that said, in part: “I am appalled and angered by the terrorist attacks at London Bridge and Borough Market, in my home city. These acts of violence were truly shocking and I condemn them in the strongest terms. Muslims everywhere are outraged and disgusted at these cowards who once again have destroyed the lives of our fellow Britons.”
Islamic State supporters and ISIS “news” channels celebrated the attacks. You can read more about that here:
