04 June 2017•Update: 05 June 2017
By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal
LONDON
At least seven people were killed in attacks late Saturday as a van mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge before attackers then stabbed victims at nearby Borough Market.
Police Cressida Dick revealed the number of the injured as 48 in a statement Sunday morning.
Three male suspects were killed by police within eight minutes after the first report of the attacks, according to Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Rowley, who said authorities are treating it as a "terror incident" as they proceed with a massive operation in central London. One officer sustained serious non-life-threatening injuries when he responded to the attack, Rowley said.
Meanwhile, political parties have suspended their election campaigns ahead of June 8 general election.
Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the “barbaric acts” he described as a “deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night”.
Reports of a stabbing in Vauxhall was later determined to be unrelated to the London Bridge and Borough Market.
Prime Minister Theresa May suspended her election campaign and returned to the U.K. capital and will chair a high-level security meeting Sunday.
“The terrible incident in London is being treated as a potential act of terrorism,” she said in a statement.
Describing the event as " attack" in the heart of our capital city, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said. targeted at people enjoying their evening with friends and family".
The U.K. has been the site of deadly terror attacks in recent months.
British national Khalid Masood carried out an attack in March by mowing down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before attacking police outside of the parliament building.
Three civilians were killed on the bridge and one police officer was stabbed to death outside the parliament. Dozens of people were injured in the attack.
Masood was shot dead moments after the attack.
More recently, 22 victims were killed when suspected suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a device May 22 in the foyer area of the Manchester Arena at the end of a pop concert. Fifty-nine others were injured.
The terror threat level was upgraded following that attack to “critical” – which meant a terror attack was imminent, but it was downgraded to “severe” after a few days.
National Rail wrote in a tweet that “trains unable to call at London Bridge, Waterloo East, London Charing Cross and London Cannon Street”.
The U.K. has been the site of deadly terror attacks in recent months.
British national Khalid Masood carried out an attack in March by mowing down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before attacking police outside of the parliament building.
Three civilians were killed on the bridge and one police officer was stabbed to death outside the parliament. Dozens of people were injured in the attack.
Masood was shot dead moments after the attack.
More recently, 22 victims were killed when suspected suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a device May 22 in the foyer area of the Manchester Arena at the end of a pop concert. Fifty-nine others were injured.
The terror threat level was upgraded following that attack to “critical” – which meant a terror attack was imminent, but it was downgraded to “severe” after a few days.
In a tweet early Sunday, London police asked the public to “remain calm, but be alert & vigilant”.
In the U.S., President Donald Trump tweeted support for London shortly after the attacks Saturday, just as his administration announced it would ask the Supreme Court to allow a controversial travel ban critics say discriminates against Muslims.
"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,” Trump wrote.
He later tweeted, "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!".
Trump’s travel ban was down by lower courts.
