One dead in London stabbing; cops probe terror link
LONDON (AFP) — A woman was killed and five people injured in a knife attack in central London Wednesday, which police said they are investigating for possible terrorist links.
A 19- year- old man was arrested in Russell Square, in the city center, which was cordoned off after the attack as police swarmed the area.
A 60-year-old woman was treated by paramedics at the scene but pronounced dead. Two women and three men were also injured but no details have been released about their condition.
The arrested man is currently in police custody in hospital.
“Early indications suggest that mental health is a significant factor in this case and that is one major line of inquiry,” London police’s counter terror chief Mark Rowley said in a statement.
“But of course at this stage we should keep an open mind regarding motive and consequently terrorism as a motivation remains but one line of inquiry for us to explore,” added Rowley.
Police were called to Russell Square at 10:33 p.m. following reports a man armed with a knife was attacking people.
The man was arrested six minutes later with one of the officers firing a Taser electroshock gun.
Russell Square is a busy tourist area with a string of high- end hotels and is also close to the British Museum and the University of London.
If a terror link is found, it would be the latest in a string of recent jihadist-inspired attacks in Europe.
Last month a driver ploughed a truck through a crowd leaving a fireworks display in the French resort town of Nice, killing 84, and two men slashed a priest’s throat in the country’s north. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.