Knife attacker shot dead on London Bridge was known to police, security sources reveal 

Knife attacker who killed two in London Bridge terror attack ‘was an Islamic extremist released from prison a year ago – and still wearing an ELECTRONIC ANKLE TAG’

  • Knife attacker shot on London Bridge was known to police, security source said
  • The knife-wielding terrorist had links to Islamist terror groups, the source added 
  • The attacker is reportedly a convicted terrorist who had served time in prison 

The knife attacker shot dead on London Bridge was known to police and had connections to terror groups, a security source said.

The attacker had links to Islamist terror groups, the security source added.

The knife-wielding terrorist, who was wearing a fake suicide vest and has not been named, was killed on London Bridge on Friday afternoon in full view of horrified onlookers. 

The attacker was a convicted terrorist who had served time in prison and was wearing an electronic tag, according to The Times newspaper. The paper added he was attending a Cambridge University conference on prisoner rehabilitation being held at Fishmongers’ Hall and ‘threatened to blow up’ the building.

The man had two knives on his possession when he carried out the attack.  

The knife attacker shot dead on London Bridge (pictured) was known to police and had connections to terror groups, a security source said 

It went on to quote unnamed Whitehall sources as saying the attacker had been released from prison around a year ago after serving time for a ‘terrorism-related offence’, and had agreed to wear an electronic tag. 

Speaking before chairing a meeting of the Government’s emergency committee Cobra, Mr Johnson said he had ‘long argued’ that it is a ‘mistake to allow serious and violent criminals to come out of prison early and it is very important that we get out of that habit and that we enforce the appropriate sentences for dangerous criminals, especially for terrorists, that I think the public will want to see’.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick confirmed two people died, and three others were injured in the attack on Friday.

She refused to confirm whether or not the suspect was known to police, but said: ‘We will be working as fast as we can to understand who this man is, where he comes from and whether there is anyone else who we need to find quickly who might be in touch with him.’

NHS England confirmed one of the three injured victims was ‘critical but stable’ while another is stable. The third victim has less serious injuries. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised members of the public ‘for their immense bravery’ after it emerged bystanders helped tackle the suspect to the ground and disarm him.

Mr Johnson, called a meeting of the Government’s emergency committee Cobra on Friday evening and cancelled his General Election campaigning events on Saturday. The Lib Dems have also decided to temporarily suspend campaigning.

Several people were stabbed by the knifeman before he was stopped in his tracks on London Bridge, which was the scene of the bloody massacre in summer 2017 where eight people were killed and 48 seriously injured.

Scotland Yard said the incident started at nearby Fishmongers’ Hall, and that police had ‘bravely and professionally confronted the suspect’ within five minutes of being called.

 

 

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