2 terrorist attacks shakes London, Van ploughs into pedestrians, One Died

A van has run over pedestrians and there have been stabbings resulting in “multiple” casualties on Saturday night in the London Bridge area in what police are treating as “terrorist incidents”. Armed British police rushed to London Bridge after reports of the rogue vehicle, with one woman telling Reuters that she saw people who may have had their throats cut.

As the nightmare struck London, several people were reported injured in two incidents — on London Bridge and in nearby Borough Market. Transport for London said busy London Bridge station and two others were closed at the request of police. The incident comes less than three months after an attacker ran down people with a vehicle on Westminster Bridge, killing four, then stabbed a policeman to death outside Parliament.

Here are the latest updates:

6:14am IST: BBC shows photograph of possible London attackers who were shot by police. One of the men had canisters strapped to his body.

6:08am IST: London mayor Sadiq Khan says the London Bridge incident is a “deliberate and cowardly attack”

6:07am IST: A Reuters reporter heard three loud bangs in the vicinity of Borough Market where armed police are responding to a terrorist incident.

5:46am IST: The Sun newspaper said up to seven people were feared dead and that two attackers were shot dead near London Bridge, news agency Reuters reported.

The newspaper said five people were in the van that drove into pedestrians. It said those attackers, wielding knives, then targeted people in pubs and restaurants in Borough Market.

5:45am IST: Up to seven people feared dead in London incidents, says The Sun newspaper.

Crowd runs from area around London Bridge following incident in which vehicle reportedly plowed into pedestrians https://t.co/San2hYbSIo pic.twitter.com/KRXd92yTPK

— ABC News (@ABC) June 4, 2017

5:44am IST: Witness to London Bridge incident tells Reuters he heard what sounded like gunfire shortly afterwards from nearby Borough Market

5:43am IST: Witness to London Bridge incident tells Reuters the van hit people and then crashed into a bus stop

5:42am IST: A witness to the London Bridge incident tells Reuters he saw six people on the floor not moving after van drove into people

5:37am IST: British Police clarify:

The incident at #Vauxhall is a stabbing and is not connect to the incidents at #LondonBridge & #BoroughMarket

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) 3 June 2017

5:32am IST: Police declare vehicle, knife incidents on and near London Bridge “terrorist incidents”.

5:16am IST: British PM Theresa May says that the incident in London is being treated as a potential act of terrorism. Downing Street says the PM will chair a meeting of the government’s emergency response committee .

“Following updates from police and security officials, I can confirm that the terrible incident in London is being treated as a potential act of terrorism,” May said just over four days before voting is due to begin in a June 8 national election.

5:14am IST: Jeremy Corbyn, the head of the Labour Party, said on Twitter: “Brutal and shocking incidents reported in London. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. Thank you to the emergency services.”

5:00am IST: US President Donald Trump says “we need to be smart, vigilant and tough”. Trump assures help to Britain even as he argues for his pet “Travel Ban”.

We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2017

Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the U. K., we will be there – WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2017

4:40am IST: Police ask citizens to maintain their calm.

Please remain calm, but be alert & vigilant. We are using all necessary skills & resources at #LondonBridge #BoroughMarket #Vauxhall

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) 3 June 2017

4:32am IST: BBC reports more than one persona has died in London Bridge incident.

4:22am IST: CNN cites eyewitness as saying that two men entered a restaurant near London Bridge and stabbed two people inside.

4:20am IST: London police say they are now responding to incident in Vauxhall area, over a mile away..

4:20am IST: British Police send out security advice on Twitter to Londoners, say “Run, Hide, Tell” if caught in attack.

People react as police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London. (REUTERS)

4:17am IST: UK government spokeswoman says PM May is in contact with officials and being regularly updated on London incidents.

4:15am IST: British Police say officers responded to reports of a vehicle in collision with pedestrians on London Bridge. Earlier, Nick Brandon of British Transport Police said the force had received reports of “multiple” casualties in an incident possibly involving a knife and a vehicle. He said he did not know how serious the injuries were.

4:10am IST: London police say shots were fired after they responded to reports of stabbings in Borough Market. The force said armed officers were sent to the scenes and shots were fired. They did not say if officers fired the shots.

Officers are now responding to an incident in the #Vauxhall area. 3/3

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) 3 June 2017

Officers have then responded to reports of stabbings in #BoroughMarket. Armed officers responded and shots have been fired. 2/3

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) 3 June 2017

As well as #LondonBridge officers have also responsed to an incident in #BoroughMarket. We have armed police at the scenes.

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) 3 June 2017

4:00am IST: British police are believed to be searching for three suspects who may be armed, the BBC reported, after incidents on London Bridge and in the nearby Borough Market area.

The BBC also said PM May had been in contact with officials, and U. President Donald Trump had been briefed about the situation.

3:55am IST: The London Ambulance Service said “multiple resources” were being sent to the scene.

3:45am IST: BBC reporter Holly Jones, who was there at the time of the London Bridge incident, said she saw a van driven by a man travelling “at about 50 miles (80 kilometres) an hour”.

She said about five people were being treated for injuries after the vehicle mounted the pavement and hit them.

She added she saw a man, who had his shirt off and was in handcuffs, being arrested by police.

Police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain, June 4. (REUTERS)

Eyewitnesses speak:

Multiple witnesses reported a vehicle veering off the road and hitting several pedestrians; others also said they saw a man with a knife.

A taxi driver said: “A van came from London Bridge itself, went between the traffic light system and rammed it towards the steps. It knocked loads of people down.

“Then three men got out with long blades, 12 inches long and went randomly along Borough High Street stabbing people at random.”

Will Heaven, said he saw people who appeared to have been hit, and one being put into an ambulance.

“We saw injured people on the road, injured people on the pavement,” he told Sky News.

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