Police kill man who stabbed 2 in terror attack

LONDON — A man who strapped on a fake bomb and stabbed two people on a London street before being shot to death by police Sunday was recently released from prison, where he was serving time for Islamicrelated terrorism offenses, officials said.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi said police are confident the attacker was released convict Sudesh Amman, 20. He had been convicted for publishing graphic terrorist videos online.

The afternoon incident on the streets of London recalled a November stabbing spree carried out by another man who had served prison time for a terrorism offense. Two were killed in that attack.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said measures will be introduced Monday to bring “fundamental” change to the way people convicted of terrorism offenses are handled in prison and afterward.

It seems likely the victims will survive Sunday’s attack in the bustling commercial and residential south London neighborhood of Streatham, where Amman struck outside a major pharmacy on a busy shopping afternoon.

D’Orsi said a stabbing victim in his 40s thought to be in lifethreatening condition has improved, and a woman who had been hospitalized was later released.

D’Orsi said the incident started at 2 p.m. when Amman was already being trailed by police.

“Armed officers, who were part of a proactive counterterrorism operation and were following the suspect on foot, were in immediate attendance and shot a male suspect dead at the scene,” she said.

She said police saw a device strapped to the attacker’s body and called in specialist officers who quickly determined the purported explosive was a hoax.

Officials praised the police action Sunday but questions are likely to be raised about why the officers trailing Amman could not prevent his attack.

Video from the scene appeared to show three undercover police officers in an unmarked car making a quick stop just after the attack.

Bell ReberioAddy, a member of Parliament who represents Streatham, said the attacker had been under surveillance “for some time.”

In November, British authorities lowered the national terror threat level to “substantial,” meaning an attack is considered likely. That is the thirdhighest rung in a fivestep system used by British authorities.

Alberto Pezzali / Associated Press Forensic officers confer near the scene of the stabbing attack in the Streatham neighborhood, about 5 miles south of central London. The attacker had been under surveillance.