What You Need to Know About the London Terror Attacks

At least seven people are dead and 48 are injured after three attackers drove their van into pedestrians on London Bridge, left the vehicle and began stabbing people in the area Saturday night, The New York Timesreports. The events mark the third terrorist attack in Britain in three months, occurring only a few days before the country holds national elections.

Witnesses report that men in a white van mowed down several people on London Bridge at 10:08 p.m. before leaving the car with “large hunting knives.” The attackers reached the busy bars and restaurants in Borough Market, where they began stabbing victims, but were caught and killed by police within eight minutes of authorities receiving an initial emergency call. The men have yet to be identified to the public.

Photographer Gabriele Sciotto captured an image of police urging two suspects to the ground, showing one man of canisters attached to his body. Authorities later described the suspicious men as wearing devices “that looked like explosive vests, but these were later established to be hoaxes.”

Following the attacks, police arrested 12 people believed to be involved, but continue looking for others with potential connections. Announcing that the country’s election would still take place later this week, Prime Minister Theresa May shared, “Everybody needs to go about their lives as they normally would. Our society should continue to function in accordance with our values. But when it comes to taking on extremism and terrorism, things need to change.”

London mayor Sadiq Khan wrote in a statement that the events were “a deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night.” While Khan asked his citizens to be “calm and vigilant,” President Donald Trump responded to the attacks more fiercely, tweeting that “we must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people.”

Our thoughts are with the city of London, the victims of the attacks and their families.