United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday said she supports the police department’s “shoot to kill” policy in cases of terror attacks, AP reported. May said the department’s had personnel saved “countless lives” by killing the three accused within eight minutes during the recent attacks in London.
May is facing criticism for police staff cuts during her tenure as Home Secretary. She has said that police and counter-terrorism operations are adequately funded and staffed.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police said they had identified the accused and would release their names “as soon as operationally possible”.
May also denounced United States President Donald Trump’s criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan over the attack. She said Khan was doing “a good job” and added that it was “wrong to say anything else.” On Twitter, Trump had expressed solidarity with London but said, “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’.”
Relations between the two countries have been strained after it emerged that classified information about the Manchester attack was leaked to publications in the United States.
The attacks
A van drove into people near the London Bridge on Saturday night while stabbing incidents were reported from nearby Borough Market. The police had said all three attackers involved in the incident had been killed. The Metropolitan Police also urged people to avoid the London Bridge and Borough Market as the areas were cordoned off to continue with the investigation.
The Islamic State group on Sunday claimed responsibility for the attacks near London Bridge.
Eleven people have been placed in custody in connection with the attack as the British Police tried to determine whether the attackers had any accomplices, reported AP. The attackers were believed to be wearing what appeared to be suicide belts. However, they turned out to be fake, said Assistant Commission Mark Rowley. “I again appeal for anyone with information or footage of the incident to contact the police,” he said in a statement.
Prime Minister Theresa May warned the country of a new threat from “copycat attacks”. She also said the election will take place as scheduled, because “violence can never be allowed to disrupt the democratic process”. Saturday’s attack comes days before the general election in the country.
This is the third attack that the Islamic State group has claimed in the United Kingdom this year. Two weeks ago, an explosion during a concert in Manchester killed 22 people an injured 59 others. The militant group claimed responsibility for that attack. In March, a similar attack near UK Parliament in London had left four people killed.
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