Five dead, at least 40 injured in UK parliament 'terrorist' attack

[webfact]

Five dead, at least 40 injured in UK parliament 'terrorist' attack

By Toby Melville and William James

 

Police tapes off Parliament Square after reports of loud bangs, in London, Britain, March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Five people were killed and about 40 injured in London on Wednesday after a car ploughed into pedestrians and a suspected Islamist-inspired attacker stabbed a policeman close to Britain's parliament.

 

The dead included the assailant and the policeman he stabbed, while the other two victims were among the pedestrians hit by the car as it tore along Westminster Bridge before crashing into railings just outside parliament.

 

"We've declared this as a terrorist incident and the counter-terrorism command are carrying out a full-scale investigation into the events today," Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, told reporters.

 

"The attack started when a car was driven over Westminster Bridge, hitting and injuring a number of members of the public, also including three police officers.

 

An air ambulance lands in Parliament Square during an incident on Westminster Bridge in London. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

 

"A car then crashed near to parliament and at least one man, armed with a knife continued the attack and tried to enter parliament."

 

Reuters reporters inside parliament at the time heard loud bangs and shortly afterwards saw the knifeman and the stabbed policeman lying on the ground in a courtyard within the gates of parliament.

 

A Reuters photographer saw at least a dozen people injured on the bridge. His photographs showed people lying on the ground, some of them bleeding heavily and one under a bus.

 

A woman was pulled alive, but with serious injuries, from the Thames, the Port of London Authority said. The circumstances of her fall into the river were unknown.

 

Three French schoolchildren aged 15 or 16 were among those injured in the attack, French officials said.

 

The attack took place on the first anniversary of attacks by Islamist militants that killed 32 people in Brussels.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May was being kept updated and was due to chair a meeting of the government's crisis response committee.

"The thoughts of the PM and the government are with those killed and injured in this appalling incident, and with their families," her office said in a statement.

 

CHAOTIC SCENES

 

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes during the attack.

 

"I just saw a car go out of control and just go into pedestrians on the bridge," said Bernadette Kerrigan, who was on a tour bus on the bridge at the time, in an interview with Sky News.

 

"As we were going across the bridge, we saw people lying on the floor, they were obviously injured. I saw about 10 people maybe. And then the emergency services started to arrive. Everyone was just running everywhere."

 

The House of Commons, which was in session at the time, was suspended and lawmakers were asked to stay inside.

 

Interior minister Amber Rudd said the government's top priority was people's security.

 

"The British people will be united in working together to defeat those who would harm our shared values: values of democracy, tolerance and the rule of law," she said.

 

May spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump about the attack, the White House said.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson condemned what he described as "horrific acts of violence".

 

Polish former Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who witnessed the attack from a taxi as he crossed the bridge, said he saw five victims and made a video of the scene.

 

"I heard something that sounded like a small car crash. Then I looked out of the window and saw that there was one person lying on the asphalt," he told Reuters.

 

"I did not see the face of the person lying on the asphalt, but the person was not moving, it was not showing any signs of life. One of the men I saw, his head was bleeding very badly. But the person I filmed - no, that person was not showing any signs of life."

 

Journalist Quentin Letts of the Daily Mail newspaper told LBC radio that he had witnessed the stabbing of the policeman and the shooting of the assailant from his office in the parliament building.

 

"He (the assailant) ran in through the open gates ... He set about one of the policemen with what looked like a stick," Letts said.

 

"The policeman fell over on the ground and it was quite horrible to watch and then having done that, he disengaged and ran towards the House of Commons entrance used by MPs (members of parliament) and got about 20 yards or so when two plain-clothed guys with guns shot him."

 

In Edinburgh, the Scottish parliament suspended a planned debate and vote on independence as the news from London came in.

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of "severe" meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

 

In May 2013, two British Islamists stabbed to death soldier Lee Rigby on a street in southeast London.

 

In July 2005, four British Islamists killed 52 commuters and themselves in suicide bombings on the British capital's transport system in what was London's worst peacetime attack.

 

Wednesday's attack was near the location where, in 1979, Airey Neave, a Member of Parliament who was a close aide to Margaret Thatcher, was killed by a car-bomb claimed by the Irish National Liberation Army.

 

(Additional reporting by Kylie Maclellan, Elizabeth Piper, Costas Pitas, Alistair Smout, Michael Holden, Kate Holton, Elisabeth O'Leary, Andy Bruce, David Milliken and William Schomberg, Lidia Kelly; writing by Estelle Shirbon, editing by Stephen Addison, Guy Faulconbridge and Giles Elgood)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-23

[webfact]

PM May's thoughts are with killed, injured in 'appalling incident'

REUTERS

 

Police tapes off Parliament Square after reports of loud bangs, in London, Britain, March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Theresa May's thoughts are with those killed and injured in an attack close to parliament and the British prime minister is being kept updated with developments, her office said on Wednesday.

 

Four people were killed and at least 20 injured after a car ploughed into pedestrians and an attacker stabbed a policeman, in what police called a terrorist incident.

 

"The thoughts of the PM and the government are with those killed and injured in this appalling incident, and with their families," her office said in a statement.

 

"The PM is being kept updated and will shortly chair COBR," the statement said, referring to a meeting of the government's emergency security committee to be held later on Wednesday.

 

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and William James, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-23

[webfact]

Germany's Merkel expresses shock at London attack

REUTERS

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a cabinet meeting in Berlin, Germany, March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed shock at the attack in which four people were killed and at least 20 injured in London on Wednesday, and she said her thoughts were with the British people and everyone in the capital.

 

In the attack close to the British parliament a car ploughed into pedestrians and an attacker stabbed a policeman, in what police called a terrorist incident.

 

"Although the background to these incidents still needs to be exactly clarified, I confirm on behalf of Germany and its citizens that we stand firmly and resolutely by Britain's side when it comes to fighting any kind of terrorism," Merkel said in an emailed statement.

 

In December, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker pledging allegiance to Islamic State killed 12 people in Berlin by driving a truck into a crowded festive market.

 

German security officials said they remained on high alert for a possible attack, but there had been no change in security procedures.

 

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Wednesday that the London attack was likely a terrorist incident.

 

"It has not yet been definitely established what the motive for the brutal incident was. There are many indications that there was a terrorist background," de Maiziere said in an emailed statement.

 

He added that German security authorities were in close contact with their British counterparts.

 

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was probably no coincidence that the attack happened near parliament, adding: "It was supposed to show that the intention was to attack the heart of our democracies, so it's an attack on us all."

 

(Reporting by Michelle Martin and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-23

[webfact]

U.S. says domestic security posture unchanged after London attack

REUTERS

 

Members of the emergency services take an injured person away on a stretcher after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London, Britain March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday it would lend support to Britain's investigation of an attack outside its parliament building, but said the security posture in the United States was unchanged.

 

"We are in close contact with our British counterparts to monitor the tragic events and to support the ongoing investigation," it said in a statement. "At this time our domestic security posture remains unchanged."

 

(Reporting by Timothy Ahmann; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-23

[USPatriot]

Thank your government and being nice. Is it worth it to be nice and have born citizens mowed down.

 

 

[Laughing Gravy]

What a sad day for London again. Just like 7/7. Listening to the Police commissioner he hasn't said it directly but it seems it is Islamic based. No surprises there. Sadiq Khan should resign with his comments of this happens in any big city. Insensitive and no doubt won't be blaming Islam at all. My sympathies to the families. The amount of times I have walked over Westminster bridge, you relies it could be the day and time you are there.

[esprit]

5 confirmed dead now unfortunately.  Let's not blame anyone yet until the British police identify who the attacker was.   At least the British police will undertake a thorough investigation in the appropriate and most professional manner possible.

[Somtamnication]

Just a matter of time. Since 2005, England has never been the same. RIP to the dead and speedy recovery to the injured. 

[webfact]

Five dead, around 40 injured in UK parliament 'terrorist' attack

By Toby Melville and William James

 

A man lies injured after a shottingt incident on Westminster Bridge in London, March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Five people were killed and about 40 injured in London on Wednesday after a car ploughed into pedestrians and a suspected Islamist-inspired attacker stabbed a policeman close to Britain's parliament.

 

The dead, in what police called a "marauding terrorist attack," included the assailant and the policeman he stabbed. The other three victims were among those hit by the car as it sped across Westminster Bridge before crashing into railings just outside parliament.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the attack as "sick and depraved".

 

"The location of this attack was no accident," she said in a statement outside her 10 Downing Street office late in the evening.

 

"The terrorist chose to strike at the heart of our capital city, where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech."

 

Any attempt to defeat those values through violence was "doomed to failure", May said.

 

Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, told reporters the attack started when a car was driven over Westminster Bridge, hitting and injuring members of the public and three police officers.

 

"A car then crashed near to parliament and at least one man, armed with a knife, continued the attack and tried to enter parliament," Rowley said.

 

He said the police's "fast-paced investigation" was working on the assumption that the attack was "Islamist-related terrorism". Police believed they knew the identity of the attacker but would not provide details at this stage, he said.

 

It was the deadliest attack in London since four British Islamists killed 52 commuters and themselves in suicide bombings on the city's transport system in July 2005, in London's worst peacetime attack.

 

It took place on the first anniversary of attacks by Islamist militants that killed 32 people in Brussels.

 

Reuters reporters inside parliament during Wednesday's attack heard loud bangs and shortly afterwards saw the knifeman and the stabbed policeman lying on the ground in a courtyard within the gates of parliament.

 

The dead police officer was identified as Keith Palmer, 48, with 15 years of service.

 

LAWMAKERS CAUGHT UP IN CHAOS

 

A Reuters photographer saw at least a dozen people injured on the bridge. His photographs showed people lying on the ground, some of them bleeding heavily and one under a bus.

 

A woman was pulled alive, but with serious injuries, from the Thames, the Port of London Authority said. The circumstances of her fall into the river were unknown.

 

Three French schoolchildren aged 15 or 16 were among those injured in the attack, French officials said.

 

Several members of parliament (MPs) and senior officials were caught up in the chaos. Tobias Ellwood, a junior Foreign Office minister, was pictured attempting to resuscitate a man lying unconscious, reported to be the stabbed policeman.

 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said there would be additional police officers on the city streets to keep Londoners and visitors safe.

 

"We stand together in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. We always have, and we always will. Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism," he said.

 

Parliament's lower House of Commons, which was in session at the time, was suspended and lawmakers were asked to stay inside the building for several hours.

 

May said parliament would convene as normal on Thursday in a sign that the attack would not disrupt life in the capital.

 

However, a visit by Queen Elizabeth to officially open the new headquarters of London's police force, which had been planned for Thursday, was postponed "in light of today's events," Buckingham Palace said.

 

In a telephone call with May, President Donald Trump offered Britain the full cooperation and support of the United States, the White House said. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson condemned the attack as "horrific acts of violence".

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were among foreign leaders who expressed shock and solidarity.

 

"NO SIGNS OF LIFE"

 

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic during the attack.

 

"I just saw a car go out of control and just go into pedestrians on the bridge," said Bernadette Kerrigan, who had been on a tour bus on the bridge, in an interview with Sky News.

 

"As we were going across the bridge, we saw people lying on the floor, they were obviously injured. I saw about 10 people maybe. And then the emergency services started to arrive. Everyone was just running everywhere."

 

Former Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who witnessed the attack from a taxi as he crossed the bridge, said he saw five victims and made a video of the scene.

 

"I heard something that sounded like a small car crash. Then I looked out of the window and saw that there was one person lying on the asphalt," he told Reuters.

 

"I did not see the face of the person lying on the asphalt, but the person was not moving, it was not showing any signs of life. One of the men I saw, his head was bleeding very badly. But the person I filmed -- no, that person was not showing any signs of life."

 

Journalist Quentin Letts of the Daily Mail newspaper told LBC radio that he had witnessed the stabbing of the policeman and the shooting of the assailant from his office in the parliament building.

 

"He (the assailant) ran in through the open gates ... He set about one of the policemen with what looked like a stick," Letts said.

 

"The policeman fell over on the ground and it was quite horrible to watch and then having done that, he disengaged and ran towards the House of Commons entrance used by MPs and got about 20 yards or so when two plain-clothed guys with guns shot him."

 

In Edinburgh, the Scottish parliament suspended a planned debate and vote on independence as the news from London came in.

 

Britain is on its second-highest alert level of "severe" meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

 

The most recent deadly attack in London to be treated as a terrorist incident was in May 2013, when two British Islamists stabbed to death soldier Lee Rigby on a street.

 

(Additional reporting by Kylie Maclellan, Elizabeth Piper, Costas Pitas, Alistair Smout, Michael Holden, Kate Holton, Elisabeth O'Leary, Andy Bruce, David Milliken and William Schomberg; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Stephen Addison, Guy Faulconbridge, Giles Elgood, Catherine Evans and Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-23

[Classic Ray]

Condolences to the victims' families. I used to walk by there every day when I worked in London, and I've had my fair share of guarding public buildings, especially during the IRA days. It could have been any of us who didn't get to go home today.

[cdnvic]

Rumours and hate speech removed. Please keep calm and practice some self-moderation.

[simple1]

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

What a sad day for London again. Just like 7/7. Listening to the Police commissioner he hasn't said it directly but it seems it is Islamic based. No surprises there. Sadiq Khan should resign with his comments of this happens in any big city. Insensitive and no doubt won't be blaming Islam at all. My sympathies to the families. The amount of times I have walked over Westminster bridge, you relies it could be the day and time you are there.

Why are you making false accusations in this time of grief? Do you really believe it's constructive to post false news nonsense immediately after a terror attack?; refer below...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/22/donald-trump-jr-tweet-london-mayor-sadiq-khan

 

Condolences for the murdered and injured and their loved ones. Personally I have no doubt UK police will deal with this incident in a professional manner.

Edited March 23, 2017 by simple1

[darksidedog]

Horrible, cowardly attack on innocent folk going about their lives. And for what?

This will simply steel the resolve of the British, not to be cowed by terrorists.

I'm glad they shot the POS.

[kowpot]

People, it is time to stop living in denial.  Islam is not a religion of peace. If my religion told me to kill my fellow human being, I think I would look for a new religion.

[joeboy123]

9 minutes ago, kowpot said:

People, it is time to stop living in denial.  Islam is not a religion of peace. If my religion told me to kill my fellow human being, I think I would look for a new religion.

We are still to find a religion of peace, honestly what did we expect when we have bombed their countries back to the stone age. RIP to all the innocent lives including 1 million plus Iraqis and Syrians.

[thai3]

Their countries never left the stone age mentality and they have been at war with everyone for 1400 years

Edited March 23, 2017 by thai3

[crezycasy]

3 hours ago, USPatriot said:

Thank your government and being nice. Is it worth it to be nice and have born citizens mowed down.

 

 

You are specialist in world politics?

[kowpot]

11 minutes ago, joeboy123 said:

We are still to find a religion of peace, honestly what did we expect when we have bombed their countries back to the stone age. RIP to all the innocent lives including 1 million plus Iraqis and Syrians.

If you study history, you will see it dates back to 1928  with the start of the Muslim Brotherhood. In fact it started in the year 610 AD.  Not many bombs were dropped then. 

[Ace of Pop]

Why did Scotland defer a Debate,seems any incident these days and folks twist it to go to the Pub.[emoji481]?


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Scott]

A nonsensical post has been removed.   I have no idea what Obama would have to do with this thread.  

 

I also note a few other posts have been removed by other moderators.

 

Please stay on topic and keep the discussion civil.  

 

[houlicha]

Plenty of great information in these articles. Would have been nice if they ended one with something like: "The attacker was identified as ........, originally from ........ and now a citizen of ......... Investigators have interviewed relatives and acquaintences and believe his motive for these murders is most likely ........."

[nard]

so much for integration !

 

[Grouse]

Impossible to stop this kind of attack 100%

 

I think the police and emergency services performed extremely well and we should be grateful for that

 

I am actually amazed that there has not been a larger atrocity on British soil for such a long time. The security people are doing an excellent job.

 

 

[oxo1947]

1 hour ago, kowpot said:

If my religion told me to kill my fellow human being, I think I would look for a new religion.

Start looking Kowpot------and in the unlikely event (no let me change that to impossible Event) that you find a religion like that let me know............

 

Edited March 23, 2017 by oxo1947

[DaveE13]

10 minutes ago, NextStationBangkok said:

These are the culprits preaching the terrorists to attack UK. This preacher coming from Pakistan. I am not sure why UK not deported him yet.

 

 

 

Anjeem Choudary is now in prison for five years for support for ISIS. Unfortunately he was born in Welling so can't deport him and lets hope he can't "convert" any other weak minded prisoners and is kept in solitary confinement.

[Mousehound]

3 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

What a sad day for London again. Just like 7/7. Listening to the Police commissioner he hasn't said it directly but it seems it is Islamic based. No surprises there. Sadiq Khan should resign with his comments of this happens in any big city. Insensitive and no doubt won't be blaming Islam at all. My sympathies to the families. The amount of times I have walked over Westminster bridge, you relies it could be the day and time you are there.

Rubbish.  You clearly haven't bothered to read what he actually said at all.  Get your facts straight and don't rely on trump clan tweets.

[Kasset Tak]

This is the problem with integration everywhere... it hasn't work!
My parents are afraid of going to Thailand because of all the bad news about what happens to tourists in Phuket and Pattaya meanwhile gangs of refugees/immigrants are fighting each others, torching cars and buildings and areas that only 5-10 years ago was "normal" are now dangerous to visit because of the failure of integration. My sister even told me that she felt more safe walking around alone in BKK at night than going out with her friends back home... in Sweden!?!?!?

[Thongkorn]

Bring back the death penalty for this kind of attack. Nothing to bargain for after.

[Mousehound]

Just to make things clear to those that throw false accusations at London's Mayor.

This is his actual statement.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2017/mar/23/sadiq-khan-says-londoners-will-never-be-cowed-by-terrorism-video

 

 

[Pepe1]

1 minute ago, Estrada said:

Yes, his religion has not been divulged yet. You are posting false news that has already been disproven and you are promoting hate speech which only gives rise to violence from extremist National Front/Nazis and Islamic extremists.

Read post 33