The attacker planned the attack in isolation, but why?
London, March 23: Five persons, including a police officer and an assailant, have reportedly been killed in Wednesday’s terror attack outside the Parliament in Central London. On Wednesday, an attacker brought carnage to central London, mowing down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and hacking at police with knives in the grounds of the Houses of Parliament.
Metro Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley told reporters that about 40 people were injured in the attack. Amongst those injured were three French school children, two of whom were said to be in a critical condition.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May is safe, her spokesperson has confirmed to news agency CBS. The US State Department has also said it is closely monitoring the ‘concerning situation’ outside the Parliament.
Here are the top developments:
On Wednesday afternoon, a man tried to gain entry into the British Parliament via the main entrance. In this course, he stabbed a police officer. The knife-man behind the attack in the heart of London was shot dead by armed Scotland Yard officers.
In an incident just minutes earlier, a speeding grey Hyundai i40 mowed down several pedestrians on Westminster Bridge nearby before ramming into the iron railings of the side of the House of Commons building. Dozens of injured people were rushed to hospital from the scene and one woman was confirmed dead by doctors at St Thomas Hospital near Parliament hours later.
The Metropolitan Police named the police officer killed as 48-year-old Keith Palmer and also confirmed that the attacker was “known” to the police. “I can also now confirm three members of the public also lost their lives in this attack.
Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj has shown solidarity with London and has assured that there was no Indian casualty reported. The Indian High Commission in London has set up a special “Public Response Unit” for any Indians caught up in the terror attack. The incident was also condemned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
London police say they are treating westminster attack ‘as terrorist incident until we know otherwise’. Meanwhile, emergency services have been put into place as a precaution. Police had asked the people to avoid the following areas: Parliament Square; Westminster Bridge; Whitehall; Lambeth Bridge; Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube.
Meanwhile, the lights at the Eiffel Tower were turned off after London terrorist attack that came on the anniversary of Brussels suicide bombings in Zaventem and a subway station that killed 32 people.
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