LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) – A knife attacker slashed a man at an east London metro station, reportedly screaming “this is for Syria”, in what police described as a terrorist incident, prompting the government to urge Britons on Sunday not to be intimidated by the attack.
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The stabbing attack at a London Underground station Saturday is being treated as a “terrorist incident”, the London police said.
The assailant, believed to be 29, was subdued with a stun gun and arrested, London’s Metropolitan Police said.
The attacker shouted “this is for Syria”, according to media reports.
Two other people had minor injuries, police said.
Britain is on its second-highest alert level, meaning a terror attack is considered highly likely mainly due to the threat posed by ISIL in Syria and Iraq encouraging supporters to strike the West.
“The threat from terrorism remains at severe, which means that a terrorist attack is highly likely”, he said.
“Then within around ten minutes police arrived and cordoned off the station”.
Asked about how the local community is reacting to the attack, he said: “The reaction is one of shock, but at the same time people are determined not to allow something like this to affect their daily lives and the functioning of the community, which is a peaceful and pretty happy place to be”.
The knifeman reportedly shouted “this is for Syria”.
Waleed Ahmed, who works in a shop across the road from the station, said: “We heard a noise and looked out and there were loads of people running out of the tube station”. After good 10-15 police came and got the guy and arrested him. “As he was coming out this is what he said: “This is what happens when you f*** with mother Syria, all of your blood will be spilled”, the Guardian quoted an eyewitness as saying. He dropped the knife and one of the officers kicked it out of his way.
“One man has sustained serious knife injuries; these are not believed at this stage to be life-threatening”.
The Tube, also called the London Underground, is the city’s subway system.
“He was taken as a priority to hospital escorted by the doctor from London’s Air Ambulance”.
One user called Muthla wrote: “Best £ trend I’ve seen- £YouAintNoMuslimBruv regarding horrific attack in Leytonstone”. True Muslims don’t try and kill innocent bystanders.
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“Chris Lowndes wrote: “£YouAintNoMuslimBruv is just ideal – real, inclusive, undermines terrorist cause”.
