London terror attack 2017: Khalid Masood named by police as Westminster attacker

Khalid Masood was previously found guilty of assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

Updated: March 23, 2017 9:42 PM IST

By India.com News Desk

London terror attack 2017: Khalid Masood named by police as Westminster attacker

London, Mar 23: A day after a terror attack at Westminster near the UK Parliament left four people dead, police on Thursday identified the lone attacker as a British-born Khalid Masood. The 52-year-old Khalid Masood was born in Britain. According to Metro.co.uk, Khalid Masood was previously found guilty of assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences. It is strongly believed that Khalid Masood was inspired by Islamic extremism.

Khalid Masood, the attacker who killed three people and wounded 40,  was born in Kent. Masood was most recently living in the West Midlands. Masood was also known by a number of aliases, according to police. Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians on a bridge and stabbed to death a police officer named Keith Palmer outside parliament complex in the heart of Westminster before being shot dead by Scotland Yard.

Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May said the attacker was investigated some years ago over violent extremism but had been a “peripheral figure”. “He was not part of the current intelligence picture,” she said. Our working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology,” May added.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State or ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. It said the attacker was “a soldier … executing the operation in response to calls to target citizens of coalition nations”. The Prime Minister also confirmed that eight people have been arrested during raids across London and Birmingham following the attack on the Palace of Westminster in London, which houses Britain’s Parliament and the iconic Big Ben.

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest World News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.