UK police allegedly warned about extremist views of London Bridge terrorist

Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-05 19:57:04|Editor: MJ
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LONDON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- More properties in London were being searched Monday as detectives said of the 11 people under arrest following Saturday's terrorism, seven are women, aged between 19 and 60.

A number of other people are assisting police, but are not under arrest, the London Metropolitan Police said.

The intensive on-going investigation came as claims were made at least one of the shot terrorists had twice been reported to police for his extremist views.

Britain's capital was getting back to normal at the start of a busy general election week, though a large area around London Bridge, including Southwark Cathedral, remained closed.

People woke up Monday to new barriers on Westminster bridge, aiming at preventing people on the sidewalks being mowed down, the method of attack used at both London acts of terrorism this year.

London Bridge railway station, the fourth busiest station in Britain, was operating normally, making life easier for tens of thousands of London commuters.

With seven killed and nearly 50 in hospital, some with life-threatening injuries, attention turned Monday to the question of whether security services missed opportunities to round up any of the three terrorists who carried out the Saturday night attack on London Bridge and in the nearby Borough market restaurant area.

Prime Minister Theresa May came under attack Monday from Steve Hilton, former director of strategy for May's predecessor at 10 Downing Street, David Cameron. In a strong criticism of May, Hilton said on social media that she should resign over security failures.

"Theresa May responsible for security failures of London Bridge, Manchester, Westminster Bridge.

Should be resigning not seeking re-election," said Hilton.

May, meanwhile, was chairing a meeting in Whitehall of Britain's main emergency committee known as Cobra.

The Islamic State militant group ISIL has claimed its fighters carried out the London Bridge attack.

The Daily Telegraph in London reported the terror group is said to have urged extremists to run over civilians in a poster released over the weekend featuring a knife, handgun and lorry urging radicals to "gain benefit from Ramadan".

The Telegraph also reported Monday that one of the three terrorist killed by police in the London attack had been reported to anti-terror police on at least two occasions.

The newspaper said a former friend of the terrorist, claimed he had been radicalized while watching YouTube videos. He said he contacted the authorities after becoming concerned over his friend's extremist views.

Scotland Yard know the identities of the three men, who were shot and killed by armed police just 8 minutes after the alarm was raised. The names are not being released at the moment with the British media urged not to public details of their identities.

Of the injured, it emerged Monday that six police officers suffered injuries in the Saturday night attack.

A British Transport Police officer and three Met officers were injured during the attack on Saturday night, and a further two Met officers were hurt, a plain clothes officer who received stitches to a head injury and a uniformed officer received an injury to his arm.

One of the officers, armed only with a baton, was seriously injured as he tackled one of the terrorists who were all armed with knives and blades.

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