LONDON: One woman was killed and fiveothers injured by a man with suspected mental health issues whowent on the rampage with a knife in central London, an attackpolice said could be linked to terrorism.
Armed police were called at 10:33 p.m.(2133 GMT) after aman armed with a knife started to attack people in London's Russell Square, a park near the site of a 2005 suicide bombing.
"Early indications suggest that mental health is asignificant factor in this case and that is one major line ofinquiry," London Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner MarkRowley told reporters."But of course at this stage we should keep an open mindregarding motive and consequently terrorism as a motivationremains but one line of inquiry for us to explore," said Rowley,who is Britain´s most senior anti-terrorism officer.
Police, who arrived within 5 minutes of being called, used aTaser electric shock gun while arresting the 19-year-oldsuspect.The investigation is being handled by the homicidecommand with support from the counter-terrorism officers, Rowleysaid.The woman was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a
short time later.The other injured people - one woman and fourmen - are being treated, Rowley said.
A Reuters reporter at the scene said the southern part ofthe square, which sits at the heart of London´s university area,was cordoned off by police.A forensic tent had been erected on the pavement, the sceneof the attack, the Reuters reporter said.The threat level in Britain remains at "severe", its secondhighest level, meaning a strike was "highly likely".Londonpolice had already promised to deploy more armed offices after aspate of deadly attacks in other European countries.
Police chiefs and security bosses have repeatedly warnedthat Islamic State fighters want to carry out attacks againstBritain, a close ally of the United States.London police said on Wednesday they would deploy anadditional 600 armed officers across the capital to protectagainst the threat of attacks.Rowley has previously warned that Islamic State was seekingto radicalise vulnerable people with mental health issues tocarry out attacks.
He said that, in some operations, policecommanders have taken advice from specialist psychologists.London was hit by coordinated suicide bombings on July 7,2005, when four Islamist extremists targeted three undergroundtrains and one bus, killing 52 people.One of the bombs was detonated on an underground traintravelling between Kings Cross and Russell Square.Since then, dozens of plots have been foiled and there havebeen smaller-scale attacks, such as the killing of an off-dutysoldier on a street in south London by two extremists in May
2013.
"Londoners will wake up and in the morning they will noticean increased police presence on the streets, including armedofficers," Rowley said."This is there to provide reassurance and safety.We ask thepublic to remain calm, vigilant and alert," he said.