Terror back on streets of London

Terrorism returned to the streets of London yesterday as two suspected Muslim fanatics butchered a man in broad daylight in the name of “Allah”.

One of the attackers behind the barbaric killing, near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, was filmed wielding a bloodied meat cleaver, saying: “We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you.”

Security has been stepped up at military barracks across London, as eyewitnesses and others close to the area said the victim, pronounced dead immediately, was a serving British soldier.

Metropolitan Police officers called to the terrifying scenes opened fire and shot the attackers, who were rushed to nearby hospitals, where one is said to be in a serious condition.

Prime minister David Cameron described the attack as “truly shocking” while the home secretary Theresa May said it was “sickening and barbaric”.

After it became clear through eyewitness accounts that the attackers had political and religious motives, the government held a so-called Cobra emergency response meeting

In a chilling development, footage emerged of one of the suspected killers, apparently explaining his terrifying actions.

EDL gathering at pub in woolwich. Riot police on site pic.twitter.com/Z47n8ut14B

— Rose Hughes (@RoseHughesNews) May 22, 2013

The attacker, who spoke clear English without a foreign accent, is then seen walking towards the victim, who is lying in the street. Another man is standing by a car that has collided with a road sign.

At a press conference in Paris, the prime minister said Britain has faced such terror attacks before and added: “We will never buckle in the face of it.”

Footage and pictures show a frenzied scene at the junction of John Wilson Street and Artillery Place in Woolwich.

Some images show three men lying scattered in the street, surrounded by discarded weapons and splashes of blood.

Eyewitnesses huddled behind a police cordon as around 30 to 40 officers secured the scene, just around the corner from Mulgrave Primary School.

The Cobra meeting, which lasted around an hour, heard that security had been tightened at Woolwich barracks and increased at all London barracks, Downing Street said.