UK: ‘Terror’ Act Declared After Car Slams Into Pedestrians On London Bridge

(RFE/RL) — British police say they have responded to at least one “terrorist” incident in London, with witnesses saying several pedestrians had been struck down by a car on London Bridge and several other people had been stabbed near the site.

Police early on June 4 said the incident is being treated as a “terrorist” act. A few minutes earlier, Prime Minister Theresa May had said the “terrible incident” is being treated as “potential act of terrorism.”

There were no immediate official details on casualties, but witnesses said they saw several people injured, and the BBC reported that more than one person had died.

British police earlier said they had also responded to an incident at the Borough Market area, possibly involving the same assailants as the nearby London Bridge incident.

The BBC reported that police were searching for three possibly armed suspects involved in the attack that occurred around 10 p.m. London time (2100 GMT).

Multiple news agencies quoted witnesses as saying they had seen several injured on the ground near the London Bridge incident.

Unconfirmed reports also quoted witnesses as having seen people with serious knife wounds near London Bridge. Sky News quoted witnesses as saying they had heard shots fired.

The London Ambulance Service said it was sending multiple vehicles to London Bridge.

BBC reporter Holly Jones, who was on the bridge, said she saw a van “probably traveling at about 50 miles an hour.”

“He swerved right round me and then hit about five or six people,” Jones reported.

No information was available about the potential incident at Borough Market.

“As well as London Bridge, officers have also responded to an incident in Borough Market,” the police said. “We have armed police at the scenes.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter, “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!”

In another tweet, he wrote: 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!”

The U.K. has been under high alert after recent terror incidents and ahead of the June 8 general election.

On March 22, three people were killed and at least 29 were hurt when a driver struck pedestrians on Westminster Bridge near Parliament in London. The car then crashed into the fence around Parliament and the driver attacked an officer with a knife.

More recently, a suicide bomber killed 22 people at a music concert by U.S. pop singer Ariana Grande in Manchester on May 22.