A knife-wielding assailant stabbed three people at a London Underground train station as he screamed “this is for Syria” before being taken into custody, an assault Scotland Yard was treating as a “terrorist incident”.
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The Metropolitan Police said one man suffered “serious knife injuries” but was not thought to be in a life threatening condition.
John Cryer, the member for the seat in east London where the multiple stabbing attack took place on Saturday night, said he was one of the “major critics” of the Government’s drive to extend United Kingdom military operations against Isis.
Police said initial reports indicated the man had also threatened other bystanders. The London police counterterror command said in a statement that it is investigating the incident in which a man was threatening people with a knife at around 7 p.m. (1900 GMT; 2 p.m. EST).
Commander Richard Walton, head of Scotland Yard’s counter terrorism team, said: “We are treating this as a terrorist incident”.
Britain is on its second-highest alert level of “severe”, meaning a militant attack is considered highly likely, mainly due to the threat posed by Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq who are encouraging supporters to attack the West.
Suspects can be held without charge for up to 14 days if arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Shouts are heard as the suspect is seen remonstrating with people before swinging at one of them.
Video footage shows police officers trying to subdue the suspect with a taser several times before they successfully bring him to the ground. British media outlets reported that the seriously wounded victim had been stabbed in the throat.
“The tall man was punching him so hard and when they fall on the floor he started kicking him and then I called the police”.
Detectives were believed to be investigating reports that the attacker declared that he was acting in response to the war in Syria.
“Met officers attended the scene”. The scene is loud, with voices echoing throughout the station and police repeatedly shouting at people to get back. Passengers shout and run for cover as the confrontation unfolds.
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“The patient was taken to hospital escorted by the doctor from London’s Air Ambulance”.
