Deadly Reading stabbings ‘terrorism’

– British police said yesterday they were treating a stabbing spree in which a lone assailant killed three people in a park in the southern English city of Reading as a “terrorism incident”.

“Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm that the stabbing incident that happened in Reading last night (Saturday), has now been declared a terrorist incident,” Thames Valley Police said in a statement.

The detained 25-year-old suspect allegedly stabbed the three in the park filled with families and friends relaxing.

Three people were also seriously injured, police said.

They made no reference to reports that the man was a Libyan national.

Footage showed what appeared to be a large number of counter-terror police performing a controlled explosion at a residence where the suspect is believed to have lived.

“We are not looking for any other people in connection with this incident,” the police said after launching a murder investigation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the “appalling incident” and top politicians expressed sympathies for those hurt at Forbury Gardens – a popular park next to the ruins of the 12th-century Reading Abbey.

Home Secretary Priti Patel called it “a senseless attack on people enjoying a Saturday evening with friends”.

A Black Lives Matter protest took place at the park earlier but police said there was no indication the two were linked.

“In terms of the protest and the people who attended from Black Lives Matter, we’re all safe,” the Reading BLM event organiser Nieema Hassan said on Facebook.

“None of us are affected. We had all left by the time this happened.”

Witnesses reported seeing two air ambulances and several police cars rush to the park on Saturday evening.

“The park was pretty full. A lot of people sat around drinking with friends,” Lawrence Wort said. “One lone person walked and suddenly shouted some unintelligible words and went around a large group of around 10, trying to stab them.”

Wort saw three people being stabbed “in the neck and under the arms”. The assailant then lunged at another group and “got one in the back of the neck”.

One lone person walked and suddenly shouted some unintelligible words and went around a large group of around 10, trying to stab them.