Fourth suspect held over London Bridge terrorist attack as 29-year-old is arrested
Transport Police officer stabbed in the eye says he ‘did everything I could’
Another suspect has been arrested in connection with the London Bridge attack.
The 29-year-old was held during a raid at a residential address in Newham, east London, early yesterday, Scotland Yard said.
The arrest brings to four the number of men held in connection with Saturday’s attack, in which eight people died.
As the number of arrests mounted, it emerged the Saudi Arabian Football Federation had apologised “unreservedly” after all but one of its players snubbed a minute’s silence for the victims.
The Saudi squad seemingly declined to line up and pay their respects with the Australian team during a World Cup qualifier, with one seen bending to tie his shoelace.
In a statement, the federation said it “deeply regrets and unreservedly apologises for any offence caused”.
It added: “The players did not intend any disrespect to the memories of the victims or to cause upset to their families, friends or any individual affected by the atrocity.
“The Saudi Arabian Football Federation condemns all acts of terrorism and extremism and extends its sincerest condolences to the families of all the victims.”
Meanwhile, a British Transport Police officer stabbed in the eye during the attack described his anguish at not being able to do more to help those killed and injured.
The officer, who has not been named, said in a statement: “I feel like I did what any other person would have done. I want to say sorry to the families that lost their loved ones.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t do more and I want you to know I did everything I could.”
The man arrested yesterday was taken to a south London police station, while officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter-terrorism-command searched the property.
A total of 17 people have now been arrested as part of the investigation. Twelve people held in the initial stages of the probe were released without charge earlier this week, while a man arrested in Ilford on Wednesday has been bailed.
A more in-depth profile of the perpetrators has continued to build up as the investigation spreads, including the role online material played in radicalising the attackers.
Relatives of Khuram Butt, 27, said he drew inspiration from extremist videos on Youtube and wanted to fight in Syria, but had his passport taken away.
Fahad Khan, 36, the cousin of Butt’s wife, Zahrah Rehman, claimed his younger relative watched videos of the tirades of hate preachers online and supported the Islamic State group.
He said: “Khuram, I know he was inspired by one of the sheikhs who was giving lectures on Youtube, and he belonged to one specific sector of Islam which had very rigid and strict views.
“Videos about fighting nonmuslims for no reasons, innocent non-muslims. He wanted to go to Syria, yes. I heard from [an] uncle that he wanted to go to Syria to fight, but because of the family pressure, or it might be the intervention by the authorities who seized his passport or whatever, he couldn’t go there.”
The internet was also described as a catalyst in the radicalisation of Butt’s coconspirator Youssef Zaghba, 21, whose mother claimed: “He had the internet and from there he got everything.”