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
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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.
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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".
Muslim women visit police cordon to "show solidarity" with London attack victims
The One Love concert has kicked off in Manchester, two weeks after a lone suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured over 100 more after an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.
The concert, which is going ahead despite the event’s in London last night, will feature performances from some of the biggest artists in the world.
After a touching moment's silence, Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons opened with the first performance of the night.
Andy Burnham has said London and Manchester "will get through this together" at the One Love concert tonight.
Speaking on stage to the crowds in Old Trafford, the Greater Manchester Mayor said: "We have received so many messages in recent days.
"So tonight, Manchester, let's send our own to our friends in London who are going through the same as we were going through.
"We know how you are feeling but we will stand with you and we will get through this together."
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The US Government's senior official in London has commended Sadiq Khan's “strong leadership” in the wake of the terror attack after US President Donald Trump earlier accused the mayor of downplaying the London terror attacks.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Lew Lukens, who has been the acting US Ambassador to the UK since the departure of Barack Obama-appointed Matthew Barzun, said: “It is with a heavy heart I offer my condolences and support to the people of the United Kingdom. America grieves with you.
”The response from emergency services, law enforcement and officials in London - as well as ordinary Londoners - has been extraordinary. I commend the strong leadership of the Mayor of London as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack.”
The Independent's Patrick Cockburn argues that London terror attack is an attempt by Isis to prove it’s still a significant force, saying the small-scale but deadly rampage bears the group’s hallmarks of working in a “deliberately sadistic and attention-grabbing way”.
Read his analysis:
Ariana Grande's manager Scooter Braun has echoed the words of a mother of one of the youngsters killed in the Manchester Arena attack and praised fans for coming to the concert following last night's terror attack in London Bridge.
↵ ↵According to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, a Whitehall source said the UK has seen an increase in terror threats on an “unprecedented scale” - with 13 terror plots between 2013 and March 2017, and since then eight in just 70 days.
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