London Bridge attack – ISIS claims responsibility for Borough Market terror as video shows jihadis stalking pubs searching for victims

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The van was ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge before the terrorists went a stabbing spree through Borough Market and the surrounding streets.

Staff at a packed pub locked the doors and barricaded revellers inside as the armed gang tried to smash their way in shortly after 10.08pm.

The first casualty to be named is Christine Archibald a charity worker from British Columbia, Canada.

Survivor Daniel O'Neill, 23, was standing outside a bar when one of the killers plunged a knife into him.

His mum Elizabeth told BBC News: “He had just stepped outside the bar for a second and a man ran up to him and said ‘this is for my family, this is for Islam’ and put a knife in him."

Another man has posted his a picture of his friend Brett Freeman in a hospital bed calling him a "soldier" for pulling through the attack in which he claims he was stabbed four times.

The Met's Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley has confirmed that all three of the depraved attackers were shot and killed outside the Wheatsheaf pub within eight minutes of the first call to emergency services after brave cops rushed to protect the public.

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A member of the public was caught in the crossfire as police fired an "unprecedented 50 rounds"  at the terrorists, but was not critically injured.

Shortly after Mrs May's statement Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed that police believe they have "all the main perpetrators" and are confident they were radical Islamic terrorists.

Echoing the PM's words today Boris Johnson said "the wells of tolerance are running empty."

The Foreign Secretary and former London Mayor said: "Today we collectively resolve to beat the terrorists and their nihilistic creed.

"To those who sympathise or encourage or harbour or aid or abet these killers - in any way - we say enough is enough.

"Your time is up. The wells of tolerance are running empty. We will not let you disrupt our lives or our democracy."

"In the week of this general election millions of people need to hear the arguments on either side. They cannot have that fundamental right taken away by terrorists."

He added: "The response of the British people will be to carry on with business and usual - as far as they possibly can - in a spirit of total defiance."

The Muslim Council of Britain has responded to Mrs May's comments. Secretary general Harun Rashid told the BBC the council would be launching a campaign with mosques to encourage the reporting of suspicious activity.

He said: "We are ready to have those difficult conversations, as equal citizens with an equal stake in this fight."

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Confirming the death toll had risen to seven this morning Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick praised the "extraordinary courage" of brave passers-by who stepped in to help those injured in last night's atrocity.

Commissioner Dick said: "Many, many people risked their own safety to help others and treat those seriously injured and to indeed confront the suspects involved.

"It's clear to me the courage of those people during and following this attack was extraordinary."

A French man and a Canadian have been confirmed as among those killed with PM Justin Trudeau condemning the "senseless" attack.

This morning members of the public have returned to the area to lay flowers as police, forensic teams and armed officers continue to swarm the area.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a vigil will be held at 6pm on Monday in Potters Fields Park with a minute's silent at 6.20pm.

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Whitehall officials have told the BBC it is too early to confirm if the attackers were "subjects of interest" known to MI5 or cops.

Police have arrested 12 people including several women in burkas in a dramatic raid on a block of flats in Barking, east London, believed to be home to at least one of the attackers.

A second flat in East Ham was raided with witnesses saying two suspects were dragged away and put into police vans as snipers were poised from across the road - but cops have yet to confirm if this was related to the attack.

Investigators have also confirmed that seven women have been arrested in connection with the twisted assault.

Detectives were still investigating whether the assailants acted alone, and Mark Rowley, head of national counter-terrorism policing, said their identities would be released "as soon as operationally possible".

Sick jihadis took to social media to praise the three terrorists who ploughed through crowds on the bridge before going on a stabbing rampage with hunting knives.

Extremists responded by saying: “These are the black days we promised”.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was "shocked and horrified" by the attacks and praised the emergency services.

He also has dramatically U-turned on his long-held concerns over gun cops’ shoot-to-kill policy in light of the senseless attack.

Corbyn said police must have “full authority” to use “whatever force is necessary to protect and save life.”

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  A picture taken outside the Wheatsheaf pub in Borough Market shows the three terrorists lying dead - after being gunned down by cops.

  One of the twisted attackers was pictured wearing an Arsenal football strip from the 2011/12 season.

  Witness Erick Siguenza told BBC News that one of the gang screamed “This is for Allah” as he went on a stabbing rampage in the busy central London streets.

  The gang had metal canisters strapped to their chests which police chief Rowley confirmed were hoax suicide vests.

  Following the rampage four explosions - confirmed as controlled blasts by the police - were heard outside The Sun offices near London Bridge between 1:23am and 1:49am.

  At least two cops were injured including a British Transport Police officer who was stabbed in the face by the sick extremists - the officer's injuries are not life threatening.

  Another of the cops injured was a rugby player who armed with just a baton took on the three knife-wielding terrorists as he battled to help innocent victims.

  Met police have confirmed that the attacks in London Bridge and Borough Market were "terror incidents", with Amber Rudd adding that a connection to the Manchester Attack is unlikely but can not be ruled out.

  Another incident in the Vauxhall area was confirmed as an unrelated stabbing.

  A huge armed police presence remains in London Bridge today with a large cordon in place as Transport for London confirms that London Bridge station will remain closed all day.

  
  

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  Did you see the London Bridge terror attack, or know anyone involved? Please contact The Sun newsdesk on 020 7782 4100, text 07423720250 or email exclusive@the-sun.co.uk

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  Eye witnesses at London Bridge confirmed that several bodies were "strewn on the ground" and people were receiving CPR after being randomly stabbed by the sick extremists.

  Among those hurt are believed to be a bystander shot in the head by crossfire and a reveller stabbed five times.

  A witness told CNN that another possible casualty jumped from London Bridge into the Thames to avoid the speeding van.

  A 40-year-old witness to the stabbing rampage told The Sun: “I was in the Wheatsheaf pub. The doors were locked by the bar staff. Three men with big hunting knives were outside.

  “They were trying to get in the pub but the doors were locked. They were smashing the windows.

  “I saw at least one man stabbed in the chest about five times.

  “Armed police turned up, I saw them shoot at least two of the guys in front of me.

  “They had four to five silver canisters attached to themselves and police just opened fire.

  “They fired at least 20 times. One of the guys in the pub took a bullet in the head. I think he’s dead.”

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  Alex Shellum, who was at Mudlark pub under London Bridge, described a horrifying attack in which a woman had her throat slit.

  He said: “At around 10pm an injured woman came into the pub seeking assistance.

  "She was bleeding heavily from the neck - it appeared that her throat had been cut.

  “People sought to stem the bleeding and the pub was closed."

  A bomb squad and a police helicopter arrived on the scene shortly after the attack.

  

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  Paul Clarke was on the scene at a restaurant in London Bridge and heard gunfire unleashed before a man, believed to be a chef, was injured.

  He said: "I saw three people coming in.

  "I don't know what he had in his hand, it looked like a big long weapon.

  "There was a man, one of the kitchen staff, on the floor, and the man was doing a stabbing motion.

  "I just thought, we've got to get out of here."

  He said he and his friends then ran from the scene.

  The walking wounded were being taken by bus to Liverpool Street station, reports the BBC.

  A Sun journalist at the scene in London Bridge tweeted that he saw one man being led away by police in cuffs.

  

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  Casualties were seen being taken away from Tito’s restaurant on London Bridge Street with blood on the steps of the eatery.

  In horrifying footage taken from the scene, police can be heard shouting "clear the area, now" while screaming people can be seen running in fear for their lives.

  Jag Sandue was at the Black and Blue steak restaurant when he said he saw several men storm in, armed with knives.

  He said a man was cut down behind him, with blood spraying onto Jag's shirt.

  He told The Sun Online: "There were people throwing chairs and glasses outside and I thought it might just be a fight.

  "Then I realised it was more than that, people were running.

  "Next thing we know, they're in our restaurant. People were screaming 'they've got knives'."

  Former intelligence chief Richard Kemp says it's time to 'take the gloves off' and calls for every cop to be armed

  FROM looking at what’s going on it looks likely the government wouldn’t have had intelligence.

  The reality is that even an attack which involves knives is hard for the government to get information about, because it doesn’t require much preparation.

  There is obviously a direct link to previous ISIS attacks that have been carried out, either at the direction of ISIS or being inspired by ISIS but also, the timing of these attacks is related to two things – one is Ramadan.

  During Ramadan we always expect to see a higher level of violence from ISIS and we’ve seen that around the world, and now in London.

  The other thing is the election; carrying out an attack during an election period gives ISIS fighters credit.

  It’s very likely the people involved will have been known and the way to deal with it therefore is to get rid of similar people before they carry attacks like these out in future.

  We can do that by deporting people who are not British citizens and who are known to be terrorists, by detaining those who are and by excluding those who are ISIS fighters returning from Iraq and Syria.

  I’m not confident the government will do this.

  I don’t know if any politician in the UK will do that – they will in due course, because if they don’t these attacks will continue and they’ll have to.

  But for right now, the most likely thing is we’ll see the threat level increase, more armed troops and police as an immediate measure.

  I doubt it would have made any difference if the national threat level had remained at critical.

  That being said, the elements of it being critical which included military forces and additional police should be reverted because it allows for quicker reactions.

  We need to consider that this level of threat is going to continue for some time.

  We should be convicting people involved in radicalisation. It’s time to take the gloves off and hit very, very hard now.

  We need to detain, export and exclude terrorists.

  We also need to have every cop in this country armed, which gives us a greater chance of having an immediate response.

  There was very quick response here, but that’s due to proximity to the scene, which unfortunately doesn’t apply everywhere.

  He said a man behind him was cut by one of the suspects in the chaos, with people running to the back of the restaurant.

  Wendy Clarke, who was also at the Black and Blue steak restaurant, said: "I saw a bottle flying.

  "I said 'oh my god, what's going on there?'

  "And they (friends) got up and the next thing was just pandemonium.

  "Everyone was running into the restaurant and the next thing they were shouting was 'move, move, get out the way'.

  "We got under tables."

  She said her son shouted for her help, with the teen claiming he saw one of the men wearing a suicide vest.

  Wendy said: "As we were running out the restaurant, we saw blood. Blood was everywhere."

  

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  One terrified woman said she was at a restaurant when police swarmed on the area.

  She said police were firing weapons: "We had to run. There was loads of shooting."

  Officers were seen dragging startled diners and revellers out of restaurants and bars and telling them to run.

  A witness named Martin said: "There's been about eight of them stabbed. I ran up to see if they were all right but people were already with them. I was bloody terrified.

  "I thought is that real? If we had of been on the other side of the road, it could have been us."

  

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  An eye-witness who was standing with his wife at the entrance of London Bridge underground station described the attacker and how he "coldly" attacked a man.

  He said: "We saw people running away and then I saw a man with quite a large blade, at least 10-inches, stabbing a man three times.

  "He was stabbing him quite coldly, and then the victim slumped to the ground."

  Describing the attacker, he added: "I think he was black, dark-skinned, red tracksuit on, with a red hoodie.

  "He walked quite boldly along with another guy in the direction of the Southwark Tavern pub.

  "Glass bottles and tables were thrown at them, and then we heard gunshots."

  One sobbing woman said: "We were drinking in the Hawksmoor when all of a sudden a group of police ran out screaming at us to get down on the ground.

  "We heard there had been an incident but we had no idea what was going on, it was so frightening."

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  The Muslim Council of Britain has condemned the "cowards" who attacked the capital.

  Harun Khan, secretary general, said in a statement: “I am appalled and angered by the terrorist attacks at London Bridge and Borough Market, in my home city.

  “These acts of violence were truly shocking and I condemn them in the strongest terms. Muslims everywhere are outraged and disgusted at these cowards who once again have destroyed the lives of our fellow Britons."

  The US State Department also released a statement condemning the terror attack and offering assistance.

  Donald Trump later phoned Mrs May and offered his condolences while praising the work of London's emergency services.

  The President had earlier tweeted "WE ARE WITH YOU" while calling for his travel ban to be reinstated.

  Authorities have confirmed that Londoners can expect heightened security - including armed police - in the city following the attack.

  Speaking on Sunday morning, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "I've been the mayor for 13 months. We have the best police and security services in the world, we saw that with their swift response last night. People should remain calm and vigilant.

  "These terrorists want to disrupt our way of life; mixing and mingling on a Saturday night; voting on Thursday. We can't let them do that."

  The latest terror assault came 12 days after the Manchester suicide bombing which killed 22 people - including children - at a pop concert.

  The One Love Manchester concert has gone ahead with thousands falling silent in tribute to the victims of both the Manchester and London attacks on Sunday evening.

  Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham told those gathered: "We have received so many messages in recent days, so tonight, Manchester, let's send our own to our friends in London who are going through the same as we were going through."

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  Some bystanders who were trapped inside the police cordon slept in the lobby of the London Bridge Hotel and were seen being allowed out in groups of six this morning.

  Police officers escorted people from London Bridge station nearly nine hours after the atrocity - some of who had slept on the floor of the Underground terminal.

  Shaken witnesses were taken from the side entrance of the station just before 7am wearing foil jackets.

  One witness who spent eight hours on the floor of London Bridge station said that they were trapped in a "nightmare situation".

  The woman, who didn't want to be named, said: "A group of us were staying in the London Bridge hotel and we were having a drink next door when police stormed in and told us we had to be evacuated.

  "They led us into the station and we had to spend the night on the tube floor not really knowing what was happening which was terrifying.

  "We could've been staying in the nice hotel but were instead on the floor of the station but at least we were safe.

  "It was a nightmare situation and I'm horrified about what has happened."

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  Did you see the London Bridge terror attack, or know anyone involved? Please contact The Sun newsdesk on 020 7782 4100, text 07423720250 or email exclusive@the-sun.co.uk

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