Woman killed, several injured in ''terror attack'' near UK parliament

LONDON: A woman was killed and others were being treated for "catastrophic" injuries in a "terrorist attack" near the British parliament on Wednesday. A policeman was stabbed inside the perimeter of the parliament building and an assailant was shot outside.

Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London, March 22, 2017. Reuters

London, March 22

A woman was killed and others were being treated for "catastrophic" injuries in a "terrorist attack" near the British parliament on Wednesday. A policeman was stabbed inside the perimeter of the parliament building on Wednesday, an assailant was shot outside.

In a related incident, the BBC reported a large vehicle mowing down at least five people and crashing into the side of the Parliament building.

One woman has died and other people are being treated for "catastrophic" injuries after an attack near parliament, British news agency Press Association reported, citing a junior doctor at a central London hospital.

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British police said they were treating an incident in which a policeman was stabbed inside the perimeter of Britain's parliament building as a terrorist incident.

"Officers, including firearms officers, remain on the scene and we are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise," police said in a statement.

A Reuters photographer saw at least a dozen people injured on Westminster Bridge and photographs showed people lying on the ground, bleeding heavily. The number of casualties was unclear.

#WATCH Shooting outside UK Parliament. (rescue visuals from Westminster Bridge) pic.twitter.com/fCVCBudxm1
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 22, 2017

The House of Commons, which was in session at the time, was immediately suspended and lawmakers were asked to stay inside.

Prime Minister Theresa May was safe after the incident, a spokesman for her office said. He declined to say where May was when the attack took place.

The leader of the House, David Lidington, said in the chamber that an assailant who stabbed a policeman had been shot by police.

Amid confusing scenes, it appeared the incident may have unfolded in several locations, including the busy bridge where tourists often congregate to take pictures of Big Ben and other attractions.

The incident took place on the first anniversary of attacks on Brussels in Belgium.

Reuters reporters inside parliament said a large number of armed police, some carrying shields, were pouring into the building.

Britain is on its second-highest level of "severe" meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.

In May 2013, two British Islamists stabbed to death soldier Lee Rigby on a street in southeast London.

In July 2005, four British Islamists killed 52 commuters and themselves in suicide bombings on the British capital's transport system in what was London's worst peacetime attack. — Agencies