2 victims dead in London Bridge stabbing – police

Two civilians have died after a knife attack near London Bridge and three more were wounded, the authorities have confirmed, calling it a terrorist incident. The attacker was shot dead by police at the scene.

The attacker stabbed “a number of people” in the vicinity of London Bridge on Friday afternoon, London’s Metropolitan Police reported.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to inform you that as well as the suspect, who was shot dead by police, two of those injured in this attack ... have tragically lost their lives," London police chief Cressida Dick told reporters Friday evening.

The attacker was subdued at the scene by members of the public and was shot dead by police after a struggle. Britain’s top counter-terrorism officer, Neil Basu, told reporters that the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack and that the suspect was wearing a hoax explosive vest.

Basu added that police patrols in the city would increase in response, and that the busy thoroughfare would remain cordoned off for some time, to ensure “no further danger to the public.”

The attack caused widespread panic in an area of London that was the scene of a vehicle ramming and stabbing attack two years ago. 11 people were killed there in July 2017, by a group of militants linked to Islamic State.

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