Hoax" device found strapped to terror suspect's body: UK police
3 hurt in stabbing attack, one in life-threatening condition
One of the injured people in the attack on Streatham High Road is “at hospital in a life-threatening condition. We are in the process of informing their family,” police say in a statement.
The force adds: “A second victim was treated for minor injuries at the scene before being taken to hospital. A third victim has been taken to hospital –- their condition is not life-threatening.”
British police on Sunday said they had shot a man in south London, after at least two people were stabbed in a suspected "terrorist-related" incident.
Police later said the man had died as a witness spoke of seeing a man in Streatham "with a machete and silver canisters on his chest".
"We can confirm that the man shot by police at around 2pm today in #Streatham High Road has been pronounced dead," London's Metropolitan Police said on Twitter.
"The circumstances are being assessed; the incident has been declared as terrorist-related."
The police later confirmed that the attacker was under active police surveillance at the time of the attack, which police believe to be an Islamist-related terrorist incident.
The attacker had been released from prison at the end of January, after serving half of his three year sentence.
He had a hoax device strapped to his body, police said.
Eyewitness Gulled Bulhan, a 19-year-old student, told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency that he saw the dramatic events unfold.
"I saw a man with a machete and silver canisters on his chest being chased by what I assume was an undercover police officer -- as they were in civilian clothing," he said.
"The man was then shot. I think I heard three gun shots but I can't quite remember."
Bulhan added he then sheltered in a library as other passers-by ran into nearby stores.
The force urged people to avoid the area while the emergency services were responding.
London's Ambulance Service said it had "a number of resources" attending the incident on Streatham High Road in the largely residential neighbourhood.
Unverified footage posted to social media purporting to capture some of the incident showed armed police officers surrounding a man lying on the ground on Streatham High Road.
They then abruptly moved away, urging onlookers to move back, as other emergency vehicles arrived at the scene.
Britain has seen a spate of terrorist attacks in recent years.
In the most recent incident on November 29, 2019, a convicted terrorist Usman Khan killed two people and wounded three more before being shot dead by police on London Bridge.
On the latest incident, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the emergency services for their response. "My thoughts are with the injured and all those affected," he said.
London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, said in a statement after Sunday's incident: "Terrorists seek to divide us and to destroy our way of life - here in London, we will never let them succeed."
PM Boris Johnson said the government would announce further plans for "fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences" on Monday.
Eyewitness Gulled Bulhan, a 19-year-old student, told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency that he saw the dramatic events unfold.
"I saw a man with a machete and silver canisters on his chest being chased by what I assume was an undercover police officer -- as they were in civilian clothing," he said.
"The man was then shot. I think I heard three gun shots but I can't quite remember."
Bulhan added he then sheltered in a library as other passers-by ran into nearby stores.
The force urged people to avoid the area while the emergency services were responding.
London's Ambulance Service said it had "a number of resources" attending the incident on Streatham High Road in the largely residential neighbourhood.
Unverified footage posted to social media purporting to capture some of the incident showed armed police officers surrounding a man lying on the ground on Streatham High Road.
They then abruptly moved away, urging onlookers to move back, as other emergency vehicles arrived at the scene.
Britain has seen a spate of terrorist attacks in recent years.
In the most recent incident on November 29, 2019, a convicted terrorist Usman Khan killed two people and wounded three more before being shot dead by police on London Bridge.
Authorities had called it a "terrorist attack".
On the latest incident, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the emergency services for their response. "My thoughts are with the injured and all those affected," he said.
London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, said in a statement after Sunday's incident: "Terrorists seek to divide us and to destroy our way of life - here in London, we will never let them succeed."
PM Boris Johnson said the government would announce further plans for "fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences" on Monday.
(AFP / BBC / Aljazeera)
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