7 Killed in London Bridge Terror Attack, 3 Attackers Shot Dead

At least 40 more people injured in third deadly assault in U.K. this year

Seven people have been killed and more than 40 injured in linked attacks in London Saturday night, the third deadly terror incident to strike the U.K. in the last three months.

Three men, who had used a white van to strike pedestrians on London Bridge and then attacked passers-by with knives at shops and restaurants in nearby Borough Market, were shot dead by police within eight minutes, according to the BBC. 

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said authorities believed there were only three attackers and the bomb vests they wore were “hoaxes.”

The suspects and their potential motive have not yet been identified but British Prime Minister Theresa May says authorities are treating two violent incidents in London as a “potential act of terrorism,” in a statement to the Associated Press.

The British Transport Police said one of its officers was seriously injured as he responded to the incident and the Metropolitan police declared the attack to be “terrorist incidents”: “At 0025hrs 4/6/17 the incidents at #LondonBridge & #BoroughMarket were declared as terrorist incidents.”

At least 48 people were injured in the attacks and taken to five local hospitals, London Ambulance Service told the Guardian.

The incident began just after 10 p.m. U.K. time when, according to an eyewitness, a white van traveling “about 50 miles per hour” ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge and then headed to nearby Borough Market, an area crowded with bars and restaurants. Three men exited the van at that point and began stabbing people until they were shot dead by police.

Police responded to reports of a third violent incident in Vauxhall, London, but deemed it was unrelated to attacks at London Bridge Borough Market, according to the Guardian.

This is the third deadly terror attack in the U.K. this year following a car and knife attack in March near the seat of government at Westminster in London, which killed five people, and the suicide bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena less than two weeks ago, which claimed the lives of 22 people.

BBC political correspondent tweeted, “BBC reporter Holly Jones was on #LondonBridge at time of incident. Says van speeding and veered into pedestrians. Can see 6 casualties.”

Additional reports came in from witnesses at the scene.

Managing editor of The Spectator wrote, “Another cab driver: man crashed into people then there was stabbing attack. London Bridge … Passerby says 15-20 people have been run over. ‘Westminster bridge all over again’. Another says 7 or 8.”

 

Meanwhile, one witness posted a video describing the scene: “London police officers enter bar at London Bridge and tell people to ‘get down.’”

https://twitter.com/Ata_Memz/status/871132415925899264

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