Terror attack near London mosque; 1 dead

London, June 19

A man rammed a van into worshippers coming out of a mosque in north London after special Ramzan prayers today, killing one person and injuring 10 others in what British PM Theresa May described as a deliberate and “sickening” terrorist attack on Muslims.

The attack — the fourth terror assault to jolt Britain in four months — occurred just after midnight outside the Muslim Welfare House, which houses a mosque, on the Seven Sisters Road when some people were helping a man who had collapsed.

The site of the incident is close to another mosque near the Finsbury Park on the same road. One man was pronounced dead at the scene and eight others were injured. Two others were treated for minor injuries.

A 48-year-old man, the driver of the van, was detained by members of public at the scene and then arrested by police on suspicion of attempted murder. He has been locally named as Darren Osbourne, a married father of four living in Cardiff, Wales. 

In an attempt to counter some criticism over the delay in classifying the incident as a terrorist attack, May said: “Officers were in the immediate vicinity as the attack unfolded and responded within one minute. Police declared it a terrorist incident within eight minutes.” 

“This is being treated as a terrorist attack and the Counter Terrorism Command is investigating. At this early stage of investigation, no other suspects at the scene have been identified or reported to police, however the investigation continues,” said Neil Basu, London’s senior counter- terrorism coordinator. “All the victims were Muslim and there are currently no other suspects,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the suspect haf been taken to hospital as a precaution, and will be taken into custody once discharged. He will also be subject of a mental health assessment in due course.

Toufik Kacimi, chief executive of the Muslim Welfare House, said the man who was arrested had to be rescued by the imam at the centre to stop him being attacked. Kacimi said when he did so, the driver said to him: “I’ve done my bit.” Prime Minister May praised the resilience of the “extraordinary city” of London, which has suffered the second terrorist attack this month.

“This was an attack that once again targeted the ordinary and the innocent going about their daily lives – this time British Muslims as they left a Mosque having broken their fast and prayed together at this sacred time of year,” she said in a statement.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is an MP from the area, visited the area and expressed shock over the terror attack. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it was deliberate and targeted “innocent Londoners, many of whom were finishing prayers during the holy month of Ramzan”. — PTI 

Britain bleeds: Four attacks in 4 months

• June 3: Eight persons were killed and 50 injured when three militants drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbed people at nearby restaurants and bars
• May 22: A suicide bomber killed 22 people at a concert by American pop singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England.
• March 22: A man drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and stabbed a cop to death before being shot. The attack killed five persons