London terror attack live updates: Seven killed in London Bridge and Borough Market before armed police shoot three suspects dead
Prime Minister warns Britain is in the grip of a spate of copycat terror attacks
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured after a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and several men then started stabbing passersby in what police said was a terrorist attack.
The incident began on London Bridge when a white transit-style van drove into a crowd of people "at about 50mph", according to witnesses.
Police said the van then drove to the nearby Borough Market where three men began attacking people. Three suspects were shot dead by armed police.
If you are having trouble viewing this in your browser click here.
Three men have been shot dead after killing seven and injuring 48 more with a van and knife attack in London.
The killings on Saturday night were the second terrorist atrocity to hit the country in as many weeks after 22 were killed at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.
Attackers brought carnage to the streets of the capital, stabbing a police officer and revellers with 12-inch knives, reportedly shouting "this is for Allah".
The trio were pictured wearing what appeared to be explosive vests, with Scotland Yard later confirming they were hoaxes.
Armed police rushed to the scene and shot dead the three male attackers in the Borough Market area near the bridge, as authorities urged Londoners on Twitter to "run, hide, tell" if they were caught up in the violence.
The attacks came just five days ahead of a national parliamentary election on Thursday. The ruling Conservative Party suspended national campaigning on Sunday, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said.
"Following updates from police and security officials, I can confirm that the terrible incident in London is being treated as a potential act of terrorism," Ms May said in a statement as events unfolded.
The killings also occurred less than two weeks after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at a pop concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England.
The BBC showed a photograph of two possible attackers shot by police, one of whom had canisters strapped to his body. Hours after the attack the area remained sealed off and patrolled by armed police and counter-terrorism officers.
The London Ambulance Service said 48 people had been taken to five hospitals across the city and a number of others had been treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Streets around London Bridge and Borough Market, an area that is a major transport hub and is packed with bars and restaurants, was busy with people on a night out.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke of a "cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night".
Twenty-one of those injured in the attack are in critical condition, NHS England has said.
Maajid Nawaz, the founder of Quilliam, a think tank committed to tackling extremism, said calls to scrap Prevent were "naive, opportunistic and endangers our national security".
He added: "Any politician that calls for this does not understand extremism, nor the severity of the jihadist terror threat that is facing us."
Quilliam chief executive Haras Rafiq said: "Enough is enough - we need action now and not tip-toeing around the issue.
"The only way to defeat this type of extremism and terrorism is for Government and all British communities to unashamedly name, shame and challenge the threat. That includes the ideology that is underpinning it."
There was a heavy armed police presence on Barking Road in East Ham, but Scotland Yard was unable to say whether it was linked to the earlier arrests.
Theresa May has visited some of the victims of the terror attack in London.
New figures from NHS England show that of 48 people taken to hospital on Saturday night, 36 are currently being cared for in central London hospitals.
Of these, 21 remain in a critical condition.
The Prime Minister paid a private visit to King's College Hospital in south London - which has been caring for 14 patients - to meet some of the victims and staff who have been treating them.
The Royal London Hospital is looking after 12 patients, while St Thomas' Hospital has four, University College Hospital has five and St Mary's Hospital has one.
Germany's Foreign Ministry says German citizens were among the people wounded in the attack in London, and one of them has serious injuries.
No further details were available on the Germans who were injured or the exact number.
A Canadian national was among those killed in the London Bridge terror attack, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said.
The former US Secretary of State, John Kerry has said Britons are going to have to sort out whether tolerance of extremism has gone on for too long, as Theresa May has said.
Mr Kerry told NBC's Meet the Press "a lot of ingredients" went into the attacks on London Bridge and at nearby restaurants.
He said one of the issues the country needs to get a handle on is the experience of Muslim residents, who've "had a long-standing problem with respect to greater levels of alienation, a harder time assimilating into the broader British society."
Mr Kerry said the answer lies in building community to lessen the distance between governments and their people, a gap he thought is a problem "all over the world."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments