Police in London have carried out dawn raids on two addresses following Saturday night’s terror attacks in the city.

Police have said they have detained "a number of people" in Newham and Barking – with searches continuing at both addresses.

Residents said they heard "loud flash bangs and gunshots" in the early hours of the morning.

It comes after seven women and five men – aged between 19 and 60 – were arrested under the Terrorism Act on Sunday.

A 55-year-old man was later released without charge.

Terror attack

Seven people were killed and 48 injured in central London during the attack on Saturday night.

There are a number of foreign nationals among the injured – with 21 people in a critical condition in hospital.

France's foreign ministry says seven of its citizens were wounded and four are in a critical condition. Another French national remains unaccounted for.

Witnesses to the attack said terrorists deliberately drove into pedestrians on London Bridge shortly after 10pm.

After abandoning the van, three men headed to Borough Market where the pubs and restaurants were packed with Saturday night crowds, many watching the Champions League final and attacked people with 12-inch knives.

The three men - wearing fake suicide bomb vests - were shot dead by eight officers outside a pub after police opened fire with an "unprecedented" hail of 50 bullets, while a bystander was also shot.

Police have said they know the identities of the men who carried out the attack and will release their names "as soon as operationally possible."

Arrests

Several residents at the Elizabeth Fry flats in Barking – where a number of yesterday's arrests were made – said they recognised one of the suspected attackers from a photograph.

They said he had children and had lived in the area for a number of years.

One neighbour said the suspect was "a very affable person" who was "very much a member of the community" and "always pleasant to our family."

Islamic State has claimed "a detachment" of its fighters was behind the attack, according to an online news agency affiliated with the terrorist group. 

Changing threat

London Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said five terrorist plots have been foiled since the Westminster attack in March.

"Throughout my lifetime we have faced a terrorist threat,” she said. “It has always morphed; it has always changed.”

"We have a great team in this country and we need to step up a gear and look at what we now need to do differently in the face of what does appear to be again a changing threat."

There will be an increased presence of armed police across the city over the coming days – with stronger measures in place to keep the public safe on the city’s bridges.

Vigil

A vigil will be held this evening near London Bridge in honour of the victims of the attack - while a minute's silence will take place at 11am on Tuesday.

Flags in Downing Street and elsewhere in central London have been flying at half-mast.

Additional reporting from IRN ...