Eight officers fired a total of fifty bullets to neutralize the three attackers who brought death on Saturday night in London, said Scotland Yard on Sunday. The attack left seven dead and 48 wounded.
“Eight police officers discharged their weapons (…). According to our initial evaluations, fifty bullets were fired by the eight officers” said Mark Rowley, head of the British anti-terrorist unit at a press conference.
Most British police do not carry guns and it is rare that officers use their firearms. “The situation that faced these agents was critical: a matter of life and death,” said Mark Rowley. “These armed men wearing what looked like explosive belts. They had already attacked and killed people and had to be put out of harm’s way immediately. “
A passerby wounded by bullets police
“I’m not surprised that face what they thought was three suicide bombers, police have fired an unprecedented number of balls to be completely certain of having neutralized the threat these men represented. “
A passerby was injured by the bullets of the police, without these injuries are solely his prognosis, added Mark Rowley. The head of counterterrorism said investigators progressed significantly in identifying the attackers.
The rented van recently
He said the truck that was used to mow down pedestrians on London Bridge was recently hired by one of the three men.
The three occupants of the vehicle then got out and stabbed at random passersby in the area of the covered market of Borough Market, a busy Saturday night.
The head of the Anti-Terrorism confirmed that police operations were underway in east London and that investigators were attached to check if people other than the three attackers were involved in the preparation of the attack.
Measures to secure the bridges
The security cordons set up in the districts of London Bridge and Borough Market, subject to the attack, will be maintained for some time and future security measures in the British capital will be reviewed. The police officer said that Londoners should expect to see more police, armed and unarmed, patrol the streets of the capital.
Specific security measures will also be taken to protect the public on the London bridges, further stated Mark Rowley.
