A man wielding a knife killed one and injured several people on the London Bridge in central London. According to the police, the deadly attack may have a terrorist undertone.
The assailant was shot by the British police after a number of people were stabbed in the London Bridge area of the city. The ambulance service declared what it called a “major incident” in the area. The London Bridge station, a busy commuter hub, was closed in effect. Police cordons were set up and officers directed members of the public near the scene. People in buildings around the scene were evacuated to the north side of the River Thames by security services.
The man was wearing what police now believe was a hoax explosive device, as the UK’s top counter-terrorism officer, Neil Basu said. In a statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the police and all emergency services for their immediate response.
The London Bridge was the scene of an attack in June 2017 when three militants drove a van into pedestrians and then attacked people in the surrounding area, killing eight. Earlier this month, Britain lowered its national terrorism threat level to “substantial” from “severe”, its lowest level since 2014.