Multiple terrorist attacks in London: what transpired?

LONDON: Three attackers drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge on before stabbing revelers nearby on Saturday night, killing at least seven people in what Britain said was the work of Islamist militants engaged in a "new trend" of terrorism.

At least 48 people were injured in the attack, the third to hit Britain in less than three months and occurring days ahead of a snap parliamentary election on Thursday.

London attackers kill seven, PM May says 'enough is enough'

At least 48 people were injured in the attack, the third to hit Britain in less than three months

Police shot dead the three male assailants in the Borough Market area near the bridge within eight minutes of receiving the first emergency call shortly after 10 p.m. local time.

Update [08:58 AM PST]: More than 80 medical professionals responded to the London incident.

Update [08:00 AM PST]: Police says at least six people were killed near London Bridge.

"Armed response officers then responded very quickly and bravely and confronted the three male suspects who were shot and killed on Borough Market," Mark Rowley, Britain's top anti-terrorism officer, said.

"Sadly, six people have died in addition to the three attackers shot by police," he said.

"The suspects had been confronted and shot by police within eight minutes of the first call. The suspects were wearing what looked like explosive vests but these were later established to be hoaxes," he said.

Update [07:59 AM PST]: London Ambulance updates that 30 patients from the terror attacks have been admitted to various hospitals in the city.

Update [07:56 AM PST]: US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert mentioned that Trump spoke to May to offer condolence and support.

Update [07:30 AM PST]: Metropolitan Police urges people to let their friends and family know if they are safe.

Update [07:20 AM PST]: Additional witnesses came forward with details of the Borough Market incident, saying people ran into a bar to seek shelter.

"People started running and screaming, and the van crashes into the railing behind. We went towards Borough Market and everyone went inside (the bar). Everyone in the bar started pushing people from the exits," one witness, who gave his name as Brian, said.

Another witness, who declined to be named, his white top covered in blood, described a scene of panic in the bar.

"They hit the emergency alarm. There was a line of people going down to the emergency exit. And then people started screaming coming back up," the 31-year-old said.

"Around the corner, there was a guy with a stab wound on his neck… There was a doctor in the pub and she helped him. They put pressure on the stab wound."

Update [07:00 AM PST]: London police are currently unsure if all the militants involved in the deadly attacks late Saturday night have been accounted for, Sky News reported on Sunday.

"They have not been able to confirm to us that at this stage all of the terrorists have been accounted for. So we have to go on the original advice that they put out some time ago to the public, which was 'run, hide, tell'," a Sky reporter said.

A police spokesman declined to comment to Reuters about the report.

Update [06:50 AM PST]: Law enforcement officials in major US cities said they were not aware of any threats but were on alert following the attacks in London.

"There is no credible threat or nexus to LA," the Los Angeles Police Department tweeted.

The New York Police Department's Counterterrorism Bureau said on Twitter that its critical response teams had been deployed to heavily travelled pedestrian areas.

"Go about your Sat. night, NYPD cops are protecting you. Our prayers are with all in London," the police department's official news account tweeted, along with a picture of three heavily armed officers and a police dog in Times Square.

Update [06:45 AM PST]: London's ambulance service said it had taken at least 20 people to the hospitals and treated others on the scene after an attack in the London Bridge area late on Saturday.

"We have taken at least 20 patients to six hospitals across London following the incident at London Bridge," Peter Rhodes – London Ambulance Service Assistant Director of Operations – said in a statement on Sunday.

"We have also treated a number of people at the scene for less serious injuries," he added.

Update [06:30 AM PST]: Newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron said France stands "more than ever at Britain's side", following the attacks in Central London.

"My thoughts go out to the victims and their loved ones." Macron added in his tweet.

Update [06:20 AM PST]: In its latest statement, the US Department of State condemned "the cowardly attacks targeting innocent civilians in London".

US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert also issued a comment via her Twitter account.

British Transport Police noted that London Bridge would "remain closed during the night".

Update [06:00 AM PST]: Three major London hospitals said they were on lockdown after the London attacks in which up to seven people are feared dead.

"[…] Guy's, St Thomas' & @EvelinaLondon are on lockdown to keep patients, relatives and staff safe", the authority that runs the hospitals said on Twitter.

Guy's Hospital is next to London Bridge rail station, while St Thomas' Hospital and the Evelina children's hospital are located a mile away.

Update [05:55 AM PST]: One of the men suspected of being behind the deadly attack was shown lying on the ground with canisters strapped to his body, in a photograph disclosed by BBC, after he was shot by the police. He was on the ground outside the Wheatsheaf pub in Borough Market.

Another man was seen lying on the ground a short distance away in the photograph.

Update [05:45 AM PST]: London mayor Sadiq Khan said an attack in central London late on Saturday was a "deliberate and cowardly attack", and that he would take part in a security meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May later on Sunday.

"We don't yet know the full details, but this was a deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors," Khan said.

"I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. There is no justification whatsoever for such barbaric acts," he added.

Update [05:35 AM PST]: A Reuters reporter heard three loud bangs in the Borough Market vicinity, where armed police were gathered.

Update [05:12 AM PST]: Up to seven people were feared dead after a white van ploughed into people on London Bridge on Saturday, and two attackers were shot by armed police in what appeared to be a connected incident in nearby Borough Market, a local newspaper said.

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.

At least six people were seen on the ground after a white van ploughed into people on London Bridge, a witness told Reuters. "I could see six people on the floor not moving. And there were groups of people helping those people on the ground," Mark Roberts, a 53-year-old management consultant, said.

"After that, I heard what sounded like gunfire from Borough Market."

Roberts was doing a night photography class on London Bridge.

"It looked like he was aiming for groups of people. I froze because I didn't know what to do," he said, calling it a "horrendous" incident.

"I was thinking: Which way do I run to get away?" he mentioned, adding that the van then veered onto the other side of the bridge before hitting a girl.

"I immediately thought this was the Westminster attack all over again."

London Ambulance provided an update as well.

Update [05:00 AM PST]: In a statement issued via social media, Rhodes said, “We have sent a number of ambulance crews, advanced paramedics and specialist response teams to the scene, with the first of our medics arriving in six minutes."

The emergency services official added that "an advanced trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance" has been sent to the site in a car, adding that the primary focus remains on gauging "the level and nature of injuries, and ensure that those people in most need are treated first and taken to hospital".

Update [04:52 AM PST]: The British police has declared both attacks –at London Bridge and at Borough Market – as "terrorist incidents".

However, the Vauxhall stabbing incident is not linked to the other two attacks, which are being touted as "terrorist incidents", Metropolitan Police clarified on Twitter.

Update [04:50 AM PST]: Another witness has disclosed their account of events, as he took some pictures on the bridge when he heard a noise.

"We heard a noise. A bit of a pop, a bit of a bang," the second witness said.

The van "came close to us. It missed me and my friends", the witness added, noting he saw one woman who was hit by the van.

The American embassy in London shared an "emergency message" on Twitter for US citizens in the UK.

Metropolitan Police stressed once again to avoid the affected areas.

Update [04:40 AM PST]: In an updated statement, British Prime Minister Theresa May explained the incident, at present, is being treated as a potential terrorist attack.

"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," she said, just over four days before voting is due to begin in a June 8 national election.

"This is a fast-moving investigation," May added. "I want to express my huge gratitude to the police and emergency services who are on the scene. Our thoughts are with those who are caught up in these dreadful events."

Update [04:35 AM PST]: US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to talk about the incidents in London, using the current events as a reason to further promote his travel ban.

He also sent well wishes to British people, saying, "We are with you. God Bless!"

British politician and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn called the incidents "brutal and shocking".

"We were walking on the bridge and the van went up onto where people were walking," said a witness who saw the London Bridge incident but refused to reveal his name.

"We saw a few being knocked over. The witness said some were hit from behind. They didn't even see it climbing on the pavement," said the witness, adding that security officers were quick to respond.

Update [04:28 AM PST]: British Prime Minister Theresa May has scheduled a meeting, which she will chair, on Sunday morning with the country's top security committee following the attacks in central London on Saturday, media reports said.

Update [04:25 AM PST]: There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.

"A van came from London Bridge itself, went between the traffic light system and rammed it towards the steps," a taxi driver told the BBC.

The driver then added, "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."

London Ambulance through its Twitter account said "multiple resources responding to the incidents in London".

Update [04:15 AM PST]: London's Vauxhall Station has been reopened, the local transport authority said.

The incidents are being closely monitored, the US State Department said, advising US citizens in the UK to heed local authorities' instructions and maintain security awareness.

Update [04:10 AM PST]: BBC showed dozens of people, evidently having been caught up in the attack, being escorted through a police cordon with their hands on their heads.

BBC radio said witnesses saw people throwing tables and chairs at the perpetrators of the attack to protect themselves.

Streets around London Bridge and Borough Market, fashionable districts packed with bars and restaurants, would have been busy with people on a Saturday night out.

Update [04:05 AM PST]: British police said more than one person had been killed at London Bridge in the first of multiple incidents in central London on Saturday, the BBC said, citing police at the scene.

"We have been told by police there has been more than one fatality in the incident at London Bridge," the broadcaster added.

Update [04:02 AM PST]: The witness of the restaurant stabbing incident told CNN a waitress was stabbed in the throat and a man was stabbed in the back.

The railway system also highlighted routes that were blocked.

Update [03:55 AM PST]: There has been more than one fatality in the London incidents, according to BBC, which cited British police.

Two men reportedly stabbed two people in a restaurant near London Bridge, CNN reported citing an eyewitness.

Police also said they fired shots after reports of stabbings in the Borough Market area, which is located close to London Bridge.

Update [03:50 AM PST]: British police officers respond to yet another incident in London's Vauxhall area.

A British government spokesperson mentioned that May is being consistently updated on the incidents around London.

On the other hand, the Metropolitan Police through its Twitter account has issued a 'Run, Hide, Tell' instruction to Londoners.

Update [03:45 AM PST]: British police officers respond to reports of a vehicle that collided with pedestrians on the London Bridge.

Update [03:42 AM PST]: For now, it is too soon to comment on whether the incidents around London Bridge are militant attacks, a European Security official said.

Update [03:40 AM PST]: The UK police are now searching for three suspects, who may or may not be armed, after the London Bridge incident, BBC said.

Update [03:35 AM PST]: Several more witnesses have reported hearing gunshots.

"We were in an Uber going towards London Bridge and suddenly we saw people running. The Uber stopped, we asked people what was going on – people said there was shooting," said 40-year-old Yoann Belmere, a French banker living in London, said.

"Now the area is completely closed with police cars going one way and ambulances going the other," he told Reuters.

Update [03:34 AM PST]: May is said to be in contact with the officials after the incident in London, BBC reported quoting Downing Street.

Update [03:33 AM PST]: US President Donald Trump's national security team has briefed him on the situation at London Bridge, White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said on Twitter. 

Spicer added the team "will continue to provide updates".

Update [03:30 AM PST]: British transport police stated there were casualties after the incident that possibly involved a van and knife injuries, BBC reported.

Update [03:22 AM PST]: Another incident was reported at the Borough Market, to which the British armed police said they were responding alongside the one earlier at London Bridge.

Update [03:18 AM PST]: Three people were allegedly injured and seen lying on the floor, a BBC employee citing multiple witnesses told BBC.

Update [03:15 AM PST]: A witness told the BBC she saw a speeding white van veering into pedestrians.

Update [03:10 AM PST]: A local resident says gunshots were heard near the London Bridge, Sky News reported.

Update [03:08 AM PST]: The London ambulance service also mentioned it is responding to the incident.

The statement provided by a witness earlier has not been immediately verified.

Update [03:04 AM PST]: Multiple resources are now attending the incident at London Bridge, British police mentioned, urging people to avoid the area.

A witness told Reuters she saw people at least three people with what appeared to be throats cut on London Bridge, adding they may be knife wounds.

"Police are dealing with a major incident and all routes are being diverted," the transport agency said on Twitter, as the London Ambulance Service informed that "multiple resources" were being sent to the scene.

At the same time, the Counterterrorism Department of the New York Police said it is "monitoring the event in London".

Initial reporting [02:58 AM, Pakistan time]: LONDON: At the request of British police, the London Bridge rail station has been closed on late Saturday night after they reported an incident, local transport authorities said.

The British police have reportedly stated they are dealing with the incident at London Bridge but did not provide any further details.

Reports surfaced that a car mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge, according to Sun Newspaper.

On the other hand, BBC reported citing a witness that a white van veered off the road and hit at least five to six people. 10 police cars were seen speeding towards the London Bridge, a Reuters reporter present at the site stated.

Daesh, Reuters reported, on Saturday sent out a call urging its followers to launch attacks with trucks, knives, and guns during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Similar attacks in Berlin, Nice, Brussels, and Paris have been carried out by militants over the past couple of years.

The incident bore similarities to a March attack on Westminster Bridge, west of London Bridge, in which a man killed five people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians before stabbing a police officer in the grounds of parliament.

A suicide bomber on May 22 killed 22 people at a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England. It was the deadliest attack in Britain since July 2005, when four British Muslim suicide bombers killed 52 people in coordinated attacks on London's transport network.