Terrorist Incident At London Subway Station, Scotland Yard Says

BULLETIN: London Metropolitan Police are investigating multiple stabbings at Leytonstone Underground station and are treating the incident as a terrorist attack.

Scotland Yard has identified the weapon as a knife, but the deck of a story in the Telegraph reports it was a machete and that a male suspect had yelled, “This is for Syria.”

From an early statement by Scotland Yard, attributed to Com. Richard Walton, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command (italics added):

“We are treating this as a terrorist incident. I would urge the public to remain calm, but alert and vigilant.

“The threat from terrorism remains at severe, which means that a terrorist attack is highly likely.

“I would appeal to anyone who was in the vicinity of Leytonstone underground station earlier this evening at around 7pm who saw anything suspicious to call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.

“Anyone who may have captured video or photographic footage of the incident is also urged to make contact with the Counter Terrorism Command via the Anti-Terrorist Hotline.”

The suspect, who is in custody in East London and whose name has not been released, was subdued by an officer with a TASER, Scotland Yard said.

“One man has sustained serious knife injuries; these are not believed at this stage to be life-threatening,” the agency said. “Two other people have sustained minor injuries.”

Today’s London incident occurred three days after 14 people were killed in a suspected terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif.

“This is now a federal terrorism investigation, led by the FBI,” FBI Director James Comey said yesterday about the San Bernardino mass shooting. “The reason for that is that the investigation so far has developed indications of radicalization by the killers and of the potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organizations.”

In a statement, the White House said this evening that President Obama will address the American people tomorrow at 8 p.m. from the Oval Office.

Here is the full statement (italics added):

On Sunday, December 6th at 8:00PM EST, President Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office about the steps our government is taking to fulfill his highest priority: keeping the American people safe. The President will provide an update on the ongoing investigation into the tragic attack in San Bernardino. The President will also discuss the broader threat of terrorism, including the nature of the threat, how it has evolved, and how we will defeat it. He will reiterate his firm conviction that ISIL will be destroyed and that the United States must draw upon our values – our unwavering commitment to justice, equality and freedom – to prevail over terrorist groups that use violence to advance a destructive ideology.