What we know about the london bridge attackers
The London Bridge attackers were three men who carried out a terrorist attack on June 3, 2017, in London, United Kingdom. Here is what we know about them:
Khuram Butt
- Born: August 16, 1990, in Pakistan
- Died: June 3, 2017, in London Bridge attack
- Nationality: British-Pakistani
- Occupation: Warehouse worker
- Known to British intelligence agencies: Yes, Butt was known to MI5, the UK's domestic intelligence agency, but he was not considered a high-priority target.
Rachid Redouane
- Born: November 10, 1986, in Morocco
- Died: June 3, 2017, in London Bridge attack
- Nationality: Moroccan-British
- Occupation: Chef
- Known to British intelligence agencies: No, Redouane was not known to MI5 or any other British intelligence agency.
Youssef Zaghba
- Born: January 26, 1991, in Morocco
- Died: June 3, 2017, in London Bridge attack
- Nationality: Moroccan-British
- Occupation: Unemployed
- Known to British intelligence agencies: Yes, Zaghba was known to MI5, but he was not considered a high-priority target.
Background and motivations
- All three men were radicalized online and were inspired by the ideology of the Islamic State (ISIS).
- Butt was a member of the extremist group Anwar al-Awlaki's online community and had been in contact with other extremists.
- Redouane had been in contact with Butt and had expressed support for ISIS.
- Zaghba had been stopped by Italian police in 2016 after they found extremist material on his phone, but he was not charged or detained.
Attack
- The three men rented a van and drove it into pedestrians on London Bridge at around 10:08 pm on June 3, 2017.
- They then got out of the van and began attacking people with knives and a fake gun.
- Eight people were killed in the attack, and 48 were injured.
- The attackers were shot and killed by police at Borough Market, a nearby food market, at around 10:16 pm.
Investigation
- The investigation into the attack was led by the Metropolitan Police Service, with assistance from MI5 and other agencies.
- The police found that the attackers had planned the attack for several months and had been in contact with each other online.
- The investigation also found that the attackers had been inspired by ISIS propaganda and had been radicalized online.
Aftermath
- The attack led to a significant increase in security measures in London and other parts of the UK.
- The UK government also launched a review of its counter-terrorism strategy and announced plans to increase funding for counter-terrorism programs.
- The attack was widely condemned by politicians and religious leaders around the world.