A police officer stands on duty as the union flag flies over Parliament at half-mast. (Photo: Reuters)
British Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed the man behind the terrorist attack at the UK Parliament was previously investigated for Islamic extremism.
“What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism,” Prime Minister May said in a statement to the UK Parliament. “He was a peripheral figure. He was not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot.”
Forty people were injured during the attack and 29 remain in the hospital, including seven who are in critical condition. Prime Minister May said the casualties included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Chinese, one American and two Greeks. Two of the three French were high-school students aged 15 and 16, who were on a school trip to London with fellow students from Brittany.
The terror attack took place on the first anniversary of the attacks on Brussels in Belgium.
Police arrested eight people raiding six separate locations in London and Birmingham during the investigation following Wednesday’s terrorist attack. that May said was inspired by a warped Islamist ideology.
The man’s vehicle mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before the car crashed near the UK Parliament, Emerging from the vehicle armed with a knife, the terrorist went on the attack and tried to enter the government building where lawmakers were in session. The knife-wielding man proceeded to stab the police officer and was shot on the grounds outside the UK Parliament.
Acting Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner and Head of Counter Terrorism Mark Rowley said the 48-year-old police officer fatally wounded in his brave defense of the public was Keith Palmer.
