LONDON — At least six people were killed and dozens were injured after a van plowed into pedestrians followed by random stabbings in the heart of London on Saturday night. The attacks came less than a fortnight after the Manchester suicide bombing which killed 22 innocent people.
According to various local media reports, the attack began just after 10 p.m. on Saturday when a speeding white van mounted on the sidewalk on London Bridge and plowed into pedestrians.
The van stopped after crashing into a guardrail. Three men wearing hoax explosive vests got out of the vehicle and started running towards the nearby Borough Market, a popular nightlife area for Londoners and visitors. This is when passersby realized it was more than just a hit-and-run.
The men stabbed innocent people while running towards the market, then went into pubs and bars in the market and stabbed people randomly.
Armed officers responded within eight minutes of the first call and all three suspects were shot and killed in the market.
A separate stabbing incident was reported in Vauxhall on the same night, though police stated that it was not related to the London Bridge and Borough Market attacks.
Sautrday’s attack brought back the memory of another recent attack. On March 22, 52-year-old Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four people and stabbing a police officer to death.