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If you watch the news, you must have heard about the terror attack stabbing in the UK on June 21. A 25-year-old man went on a stabbing spree on a mellow summer evening in the UK. In a brazen attack, he stabbed people as they relaxed in a park. The police are considering this to be a terrorist attack and are investigating further. They have taken the assailant under custody and are questioning him. The police believe that he is a lone attacker. They aren’t looking for any more suspects or associates of the man. Britain’s threat level from terrorism remains the same even after this incident. ‘Substantial’ is the country’s official threat level from terrorism as per reports.
The Aftermath of the Terror Attack Stabbing in the UK
This is an unexpected attack by a lone wolf. Three people have died in this attack with three more badly injured. The attack was in the Forbury Gardens park which is in the town of Reading. This a town about 40 miles to the west of London. 200,000 people call this town their home. Neil Basu is the UK’s topmost counterterrorism police department officer. He says that the motivation behind this brazen attack is still highly uncertain. Forensics is still processing the scene of the crime at the park.
Basu also says that unarmed police officers arrested the man at the scene of the crime. They were from the Thames Valley Police department. The Counterterrorism department has now taken over the investigation. Nothing else is suggesting that there is more danger to the people. The police are saying that this is an isolated attack and the situation is under control. They say that they haven’t identified the suspect as of now. However, the Press Association claims that the man is Khairi Saadallah. Khairi is originally a Libyan citizen who is a local of Reading. A man matching Khairi’s description went to prison last year for attacking an emergency employee. This man matching Khairi’s description spent two months in prison for this act.
People React to the Stabbing
The UK’s Prime Minister too expressed his grief. Boris Johnson says that he is sickened and appalled at how the people were brazenly attacked. He says that the government commits to keeping the people safe. They will learn lessons from this and make legal changes if necessary. The area is sealed off and the police are still investigating. People are leaving flowers and notes at the police tape which seals the area off as tributes to the victims. One of them says that this attack was senseless and terrible. Everyone at the scene said that the attack is traumatizing. This is only the latest amongst a string of senseless killings in the UK. The country is seeing a growing trend of such attacks.
People recount what happened
People are praying for the victims and their families. Lawrence Wort is a personal trainer who saw the attack himself. He says that a lot of people were relaxing in the park when this lone person shouted something and attacked. This person approached a gathering of 10 people and started stabbing at them. First, he stabbed 3 people badly in the neck and under the arms. Then this person started running towards Wort and his group. Looking at the man, Wort turned and started running away. Luckily then man never got to Wort or he wouldn’t be telling this tale.
Just a few hours before, there was a Black Lives Matter protest at the same park. Some people wonder if the two are connected because of the timing. However, the police say that there is no connection between the Black Lives Matter protest and the attack itself.
Rising Number of Terror Attack
In recent years, the UK is suffering from more and more terror attacks. These attackers are people under the influence of the Islamic State or by the far-right fanatics. In 2017, there was a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande gig in Manchester. The attack was Islamist inspired and 22 people lost their lives. The capital city of London too is seeing more attacks. Again in 2017, the city saw two terrible knife and vehicle attacks.
Police often know who the attackers are in several cases. These attackers usually have a criminal record and have committed similar crimes before. In November, an attacker stabbed two people and killed them in London at a justice meeting. This man had been set free recently after being jailed for a prior terrorism offense. After being released, he went on to kill two people.
Again, in February a similar case happened. A man recently set free from prison put on a fake bomb and stabbed and killed two people. This attack happened right on a busy street in London. Luckily, he didn’t kill anyone and the police shot and killed the attacker. This man too had done time in the prison for terrorism offenses.
These attacks show a growing trend. They haven’t isolated incidents anymore. People with a propensity of committing terrorism-related crimes are carrying out such attacks. They are already suspects based on previous offenses. While nobody can predict what someone will do, the UK needs to stem this trend and nip it in the bud. Britain measures its terrorism threat on a scale of five. It is right now at ‘substantial’, which is the middle of the scale. This threat level means that an attack is likely. Thus, the police need to assess the threat level from such attackers actively.
Final Thoughts
We all need to come together as a community and condemn such attacks. Senseless violence like this takes millions of lives every year. The UK is seeing a rise in such cases in recent times. The victims of this attack are among a long list of casualties of terror attacks. People need to come together and try their best to assist the authorities to stop such attacks. It is important to understand why these attacks are happening so we can reduce their frequency.
