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UK police name London Bridge attacker as man with terrorism conviction

Police in the UK have named the London Bridge attacker as Usman Khan, a 28-year-old man who had ...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

09.34 30 Nov 2019


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UK police name London Bridge a...

UK police name London Bridge attacker as man with terrorism conviction

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

09.34 30 Nov 2019


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Police in the UK have named the London Bridge attacker as Usman Khan, a 28-year-old man who had previously been convicted for terrorism offences.

He was shot dead by police following the stabbing attack yesterday afternoon.

Two people - a man and a woman - died following the attack, while one man and two women were injured.

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A man killed in the incident has been named as 25-year-old Jack Merritt who was a coordinator at the prison rehabilitation conference attended by Khan before the attack.

It happened shortly before 2pm yesterday afternoon, at a premises near London Bridge.

Khan - who was wearing a fake suicide vest at the time - was then tackled on the bridge by members of the public, before being shot dead by police at the scene.

The 28-year-old was convicted of terror offences in 2012, and police say he had been released from prison on licence in December 2018.

He had been released half-way through a 16-year prison sentence for plotting to bomb the London Stock Exchange.

He had been living in Staffordshire, and officers last night carried out searches at an address there.

In an update overnight, Met Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said they're not currently seeking anybody else in connection with the investigation.

He said: "The circumstances, as we currently understand them, are that the attacker attended an event earlier on Friday afternoon at Fishmonger’s Hall called ‘Learning Together’.

"We believe that the attack began inside before he left the building and proceeded onto London Bridge, where he was detained and subsequently confronted and shot by armed officers."

He added that "extensive cordons" are likely to remain in place around the area for some time, saying that the public should avoid the area.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday held an emergency COBRA meeting in the wake of the attack, pledging an 'enhanced police presence on the streets'.

He also told Sky News: "I have long argued that it is a mistake to allow serious and violent criminals to come out of prison early - and it is very important that we get out of that habit."

Main image: Emergency services work at the scene near London Bridge. Photo by Isabel Infantes/Xinhua/PA Images

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