Thais warned after London terror attack
3 men attack revellers in London rampage
LONDON: The Thai embassy in London has urged Thai citizens in the UK to exercise caution when commuting or going out in public places following the London Bridge van crash and the Borough Market stabbing attack.
Three men rammed a van through crowds of pedestrians on London Bridge on Saturday night, before attacking revellers with knives, leaving seven people dead and 48 in hospital.
No Thais are among the casualties, according to the embassy.
The embassy urged Thais to take care when venturing out in public places or commuting and to closely monitor the latest developments about the London attacks from authorities.
The embassy can be contacted through its Facebook page and through messaging services, or in emergency cases by phone on +44 (0) 7918 651720.
British police arrested 12 people yesterday in connection with the attacks after raiding several addresses in Barking, a suburb to the east of the capital.
“The investigation into last night’s horrific attack in London is progressing rapidly as the Metropolitan Police Service continues to piece together exactly what occurred,” the force said in a statement.
It added that “a number of addresses” in Barking were still being searched.
Four women wearing Islamic veils over their faces were seen being led away by police by a photographer, although it was not clear whether they were among those arrested.
There were several police vehicles outside a block of flats that had been cordoned off.
Sky News had previously reported the arrest of four men following a morning raid by armed police, as well as one woman who was then released.
The three assailants were shot dead at the scene, although police are still seeking to establish whether they had worked with accomplices.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick earlier told reporters: “We believe the threat that they posed was neutralised.
“Of course it’s a very complex and confused scene, and a confused series of events.
“So it’s important that we first of all make sure there is no one else outstanding.
“We don’t believe there is, but we must make absolutely certain of that.
“We have a very large investigation ongoing, and we will be seeking to establish whether anyone else was working with or assisting in any way or helping in the planning of this attack.”
It was the third terrorist attack in the UK in less than three months.
In March, a lone assailant rammed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and then stabbed a police officer outside Parliament.
Then, two weeks ago, a suicide bomber killed 22 people — including children — at a pop concert in Manchester.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said that while the attacks weren’t directly linked, “terrorism breeds terrorism”.
In that same period of time, police and security services had also disrupted five “credible plots”, she said.
More on terror attack:
BRITISH: UK Prime Minister Theresa May called yesterday for tougher measures to contain Islamic extremism in Britain after an attack that killed seven people in a busy area of London and disrupted the country’s election campaign just days before a nationwide vote.
The assault began late on Saturday night when a van veered off the road and barrelled into pedestrians on busy London Bridge. Three men fled the van with large knives and attacked people at bars and restaurants in nearby Borough Market, police and witnesses said. The attack unfolded quickly, and police said officers shot and killed the three attackers within eight minutes.
Emergency officials said 48 people were treated at London hospitals, including some with life-threatening injuries, and a number of others suffered less serious injuries.
It was the third attack in the UK in the past three months. The country was already on edge after a suicide bombing two weeks ago at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester that killed 22 people and injured dozens of others.
The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility f or t he Manchester bombing, but while there has not yet been a claim of responsibility for the London attack, the prime minister linked it to Islamic extremism.
Ms May, facing an election on Thursday, said the recent attacks, including one outside Parliament in March, are not directly connected, but that “terrorism breeds terrorism”. She also said another five credible plots have been disrupted since March.
“They are bound together by the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism that preaches hatred, sows division, and promotes sectarianism,” she said.
Ms May called on international communications companies to do more to block cyberspace to extremist groups who use it for recruitment and for encrypted information about plots.
She called for international agreements to regulate cyberspace and said the UK needs to become more robust at preventing the internet from being used to the advantage of extremist groups.
Ms May said the men attacked “innocent and unarmed civilians” in crowded Borough Market with blades and knives. She said they were wearing what appeared to be explosive vests, but police determined those were only meant to sow panic and fear.
Major parties suspended national campaigning yesterday out of respect for the victims, although the UK Independence Party said it would keep campaigning to show the extremists they couldn’t sidetrack democracy.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said city folk should remain vigilant but added: :I’m reassured we are one of the safest global cities in the world.”
Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said that while police believe all the attackers were killed, the investigation is expanding.
As dawn broke over the capital, a large area on the south bank of the River Thames remained cordoned off. Police told people to avoid the area, leaving tourists and revellers struggling to get home. London Bridge and the adjacent train station, as well as nearby Borough subway station, were still closed.
Police had received the first call of reports of a vehicle being driven into pedestrians on London Bridge at 10.08pm.
Soon after, reports started coming in of stabbings at Borough Market, a nearby area full of bars and restaurants surrounding a popular food market.
Photographer Gabriele Sciotto said he was on his way home from a pub when he saw a man running toward him telling him to turn around and run because there was an attack. As a documentary filmmaker, though, his instincts were to keep going.
The 25-year-old said that at first, “it didn’t look too dangerous”.
The men went into Borough Market, but then turned around and ran toward the Wheatsheaf Pub after being confronted by a police officer, he said, and suddenly a lot of police came from the other direction.
The attackers “had no clue what they were doing. They were scared. The police were scared”, he said.
After one of the men was shot, Mr Sciotto captured a photo of the suspect on the ground wearing what appeared to be canisters.
Police initially said officers were also responding to a third incident, in the Vauxhall neighbourhood, but later said that turned out to be an unrelated stabbing.
Police tweeted a warning telling people in the area to run to safety, hide and then call police if it was safe to do so. They asked Londoners to “remain calm but be alert and vigilant”.