Two Dead, Several Injured In Terrorist Incident Near London Bridge

Updated 4:57 p.m. ET

Police said two people were killed in a stabbing near London Bridge on Friday afternoon that authorities are describing as a terrorist incident. A male suspect was shot and killed at the scene.

Hours after the incident, a similar stabbing attack took place in The Hague, Netherlands, where several were injured. It was not immediately clear if the two attacks were related.

London Metropolitan Police Chief Cressida Dick told journalists that two people were stabbed and killed and three others injured in the incident there.

She said police fatally shot a suspect who had been wearing a hoax bomb.

Authorities were working at "full tilt" to determine if anyone else was involved in the attack, she said.

"Fighting terrorism takes effort and determination from all of us," Dick said.

"We must emerge stronger still from the tragedy," she said.

Earlier, Neil Basu, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police held a news conference at Scotland Yard in which he confirmed that police were treating the case as a terrorist incident.

"Officers from the Met's counter-terrorism command are now leading this investigation, but I must stress, we retain an open mind as to any motive," Basu said.

"Officers continue to carry out particular searches in the area to ensure there is no outstanding threat to the public," he said. "Those extensive cordons will remain in place for a considerable time, and I would ask the public, please continue to avoid the area."

The Metropolitan Police said they were called to London Bridge at 1:58 p.m. local time on Friday.

The area was placed on a lockdown and London Ambulance Services declared it a "major incident," saying several crews had been dispatched to the scene.

London Bridge has been the target of terrorism before. On June 3, 2017, seven people were killed and nearly 50 wounded in a terrorist attack in London. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for attack that began when a van plowed into pedestrians on London Bridge. At least one knife-wielding assailant also reportedly stabbed one of the victims.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson went to No. 10 Downing St. after being informed of the attack.

"Clearly, the Metropolitan Police are continuing their investigations and I can assure you, assure everyone, that anybody involved in this crime and these attacks will be hunted down and will be brought to justice," Johnson said, speaking to reporters.

"[This] country will never be cowed or divided or intimidated by this sort of attack. And our values, British values, will prevail," he said.

London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, spoke to reporters, lauding without elaboration the "breathtaking heroism" in the public's response to the attack.

In a statement, he also wrote: "We must — and we will — stay resolute in our determination to stand strong and united in the face of terror."

White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement that President Trump had been briefed on the attack and was monitoring developments. "The United States strongly condemns all horrific acts of violence on innocent people, and we pledge our full support to our Ally, the United Kingdom," he wrote.

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, police in the Hague reported that there was a stabbing incident at Grote Markt, a busy shopping area. According to police, three people were injured. A spokeswoman for Dutch police said it is not yet clear if terrorism was the motive for the attack, according to the AP.

This is a developing story. Some facts reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.

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