2 London Bridge attackers identified as Pakistan-born

Mangalore Today News Network

London , June 05, 2017 : British police on Monday named two of the three attackers who killed seven people near London Bridge late on Saturday and injured dozens more, and said one of them was previously known to the security services.

 

London’s Metropolitan Police said one attacker was Khuram Shazad Butt, aged 27. Butt was previously known to police and domestic spy agency, MI5 and was a British citizen who had been born in Pakistan, the police said.

"However, there was no intelligence to suggest that this attack was being planned and the investigation had been prioritised accordingly," police said.

The second attacker was named as Rachid Redouane, aged 30, who also went by the identity Rachid Elkhdar and was not known to police. Redouane claimed to be Moroccan and Libyan.

Police said they were still working to establish the identity of the third attacker.

The following is the full police statement:

The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command has released the names and photographs of two men shot dead by police following the terrorist attack on London Bridge and Borough Market on Saturday, 3 June.

"While formal identification has yet to take place, detectives believe they now know the attackers’ identities. They believe two of the men are Khuram Shazad Butt and Rachid Redouane, both from Barking, east London.

"All three men were confronted and shot dead by armed officers within eight minutes of the first call.

"Khuram Shazad Butt, 27, (20.4.90), was a British citizen who was born in Pakistan. Rachid Redouane, 30 (31.7.86) had claimed to be Moroccan and Libyan. He also used the name Rachid Elkhdar, with a different date of birth of 31.7.91. Inquiries are ongoing to confirm the identity of their accomplice.

"Detectives would like to hear from anyone who has any information about these men that may assist them with the investigation. They are particularly keen to hear about places they may have frequented and their movements in the days and hours before the attack.

"At 22.08hrs on Saturday, 3 June, a hired white Renault van travelled north to south on London Bridge and mounted the pavement, which collided with pedestrians before they abandoned the vehicle.

"The three attackers, armed with knives, continued into the Borough Market area, stabbing numerous people. The attackers were then confronted by the firearms officers and eight police firearms officers discharged their weapons.

"Seven people were killed. Work to inform the next of kin of the victims is ongoing. This is taking time because we believe some of the victims are from abroad. Of the 48 people taken to hospital, 36 are currently being cared for in London hospitals with 18 remaining in a critical condition.

"The investigation into this horrific attack is fast moving and complex as we piece together a fuller picture of what occurred. So far officers have arrested 12 people - seven women and five men - and searched six properties (four on Sunday and a further two properties today). One of the arrested men and one of the women were subsequently released.

"Counter terrorism partners have dedicated intensive effort to developing and improving our counter terrorism response over recent years, as the threat has changed. The more we know, the greater the chance when an attack does happen we will have some information about at least one perpetrator. Our work necessarily involves making difficult judgements about how to prioritise the resources available to us at a time when the UK is facing a SEVERE and high tempo terrorist threat.

"There are 500 current terrorism investigations, involving 3,000 current subjects of interest. A small number of the highest priority investigations involve current attack planning, and these investigations command a significant proportion of our resource. The remainder of our investigations focus on other activities relating to active support or facilitation of terrorism.

"Khuram Shazad Butt was known to the police and MI5. However, there was no intelligence to suggest that this attack was being planned and the investigation had been prioritised accordingly. The other named man, Rachid Redouane, was not known.

"Work is ongoing to understand more about them, their connections and whether they were assisted or supported by anyone else. We cannot say more about them at this stage."

Courtesy:IndiaToday