Near the UK Parliament, an attack left at least two people dead, a police officer stabbed, and many others critically injured Wednesday, and London officials continue to search for answers regarding what is being considered an act of terror.
The terror attack took place outside of London’s Parliament building on the Westminster Bridge after 2 p.m. local time, causing Parliament to go into lockdown mode, ABC News reported.
An alleged assailant was shot dead by police, but authorities have spread out throughout London as they’re treating the incident as a terror attack potentially authored by more than one individual.
Metropolitan Police posted updates on Twitter.
As this story continues to unfold, here’s what we know so far.
Two dead, police officer stabbed, others injured
According to Fox News, police said a vehicle plowed over pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge, leaving at least one woman dead and more than a dozen with catastrophic injuries. A woman was reportedly pulled from the Thames river alive but injured.
Around the same time, an assailant stabbed a police officer outside of Parliament before he was shot to the ground by another officer. A police officer was reportedly killed, but it was unclear whether it was the same officer who was stabbed, Fox News said.
Following the incident, police confirmed that there were a “number of causalities, including police officers.”
However, Scotland Yard Commander BJ Harrington has told reporters that authorities aren’t able to “confirm numbers or the nature of these injuries” at this time.
Act of terror
With the threat of international terrorism already having been on the radar in the U.K., authorities are treating this attack as an act of terror, according to Fox News.
Police also said that it was not immediately clear if the attacker who was shot by police is the same person who drove the vehicle into the crowd.
Parliament on lockdown
Reuters reported that Britain’s Parliament building went into lockdown following the terrorist incident.
Reuters reporters heard loud bangs from inside the Parliament building, and one of the network’s photographers said he saw at least 12 people lying on the ground injured afterward.
“I just saw a car go out of control, and just go into pedestrians on the bridge,” said one witness.
The incident comes on the anniversary of attacks by Islamist militants
According to Fox News, Wednesday marked the anniversary of suicide bombings that took place in the Brussels airport a year ago.
There were 32 people killed in the bombings, including Belgian leaders and pedestrians at the airport and subway, CBS News noted.
Two suicide bombers reportedly blew themselves up during a busy time of the day for travelers on March 22, 2016.
Many Twitter users put their 140 characters to work in response to the horrific attack.
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