According to London Metropolitan Police, they have identified two of the three men involved in the terror attack on London Bridge and in Borough Market on Saturday. Police still have to confirm formal identification of the two men, but they believe the two men, Rachid Redouane and Khuram Shazad Butt – both residents of Barking in east London – were involved in the terror attacks which killed seven people and injured 48 more.
Armed Metropolitan police officers shot all three attackers dead within eight minutes of arriving at the scene of the incident.
Of the 30 victims still in hospital on Sunday, 21 are still in a critical condition, according to police.
Investigations continue to identify third attacker
Reuters reports that Butt, 27, was a Pakistan-born British citizen, while Redouane, 30, had reportedly claimed to be of Libyan and Moroccan descent. Redouane also used a separate identity, that of Rachid Eikhdar. Investigations continue to identify the third attacker.
One attacker featured in a documentary about jihadists
According to Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, it was when the Metropolitan police’s Counter Terrorism Command was conducting an operation on Monday near Barking that they searched two residences and detained several people for questioning.
As reported by ABC News, neighbors identified Butt, who apparently featured in a British Channel 4 documentary “The Jihadist Next Door” in 2016. The attacker was part of a group – closely monitored by British authorities – who openly preached the need for Sharia law.
According to the Metropolitan police, 12 people have so far been arrested in connection with Saturday’s attacks in London.
Of those arrested, five were men and seven were women. According to police, eleven of the arrests were made at one residence. However, according to a tweet sent out by police, all 12 have been released.
British Prime Minister says ‘more robust approach’ needed to fight extremism
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday applauded the actions of the Metropolitan Police while responding to the terror attacks on Saturday, saying they had “saved countless lives.” However, May went on to say that Britain needs a more “robust approach” when dealing with extremism in the country.
May had just completed an election campaign speech when she spoke to reporters in London. She went on to say there has been too much tolerance towards extremism in the country and that she plans to push to stamp out extremism in Britain. The prime minister had earlier held an emergency meeting to discuss the British government’s response to the latest terror attack, which was the third deadly incident in the U.K. in less than three months.
