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51°29′19″N 0°03′45″E / 51.4885°N 0.06255°E / 51.4885; 0.06255
| Woolwich attack | |
|---|---|
| Location | Woolwich, South East London, England |
| Date | 22 May 2013 2:20 pm (BST) |
| Attack type | Suspected terrorist attack |
| Deaths | 1 |
On 22 May 2013, a man was murdered in Woolwich, South East London in an apparent terrorist attack. Two suspects were shot by police and were taken to hospital in a serious condition. Local MP Nick Raynsford said that the victim was a soldier at the nearby Royal Artillery Barracks.
Incident
In John Wilson Street (A205), Woolwich, at 14:20 BST a man in his 20s was assaulted by two other men. The victim was reportedly wearing a "Help for Heroes" t-shirt. A witness said of the attacks "These two guys were crazed. They were just animals. They dragged him from the pavement and dumped his body in the middle of the road and left his body there". The attackers, also in their 20s, later stood around, waving knives and a gun, and asked people to take pictures of them. One of the attackers later spoke to bystanders, saying "We must fight them as they fight us. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth...I apologise that women have had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government, they don't care about you." The attackers reportedly said "Allahu Akbar".
A number of weapons were used in the attack, and a gun, knives, and a machete were later seized at the scene. Police officers, including firearms officers later arrived at the scene. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by local Greenwich police.
Motivation
The BBC reported that the "case for this being a jihadist attack, following the ideology of al-Qaeda is compelling".
Reaction
- Prime Minister David Cameron said that "People across Britain, people in every community, I believe, will utterly condemn this attack...It is the most appalling crime."
- The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson described the attack as a "sickening deluded and unforgivable act of violence".
- Help for Heroes, an armed forces charity, said they were "appalled to hear that a man, believed to be a serving soldier, has been brutally murdered in Woolwich today". The victim had reportedly been wearing a Help for Heroes t-shirt at the time of the attack.
- UKIP leader Nigel Farage asked for calm amongst communities and said he hoped it was an isolated incident.
References
- ^ "Man dead in suspected Woolwich terror attack". BBC News Online. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- {{cite web||title=Ukip leader Nigel Farage says he hopes and believes Woolwich attack is 'isolated' incident|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/401819/Ukip-leader-Nigel-Farage-says-he-hopes-and-believes-Woolwich-attack-is-isolated-incident