Second Suspect Arrested in London Attack; Terror Threat Remains Critical
British police made a "significant" arrest in the manhunt for suspects after the London subway bombing that injured more than two dozen people.
Police said that an unidentified 18-year-old man was arrested by Kent police in the port of Dover on the English Channel.
"We have made a significant arrest in our investigation this morning," Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Neil Basu said. But he warned that the investigation was still ongoing and the terrorist threat level remains at "critical," meaning another attack is highly likely.
British authorities arrested a second suspect Saturday night, a 21 year- old man was taken into custody in Hounslow.
The Islamic State is claiming the explosion was carried out by an "affiliated unit."
At least 29 people were taken to the hospital after an explosion went off in the Parsons Green underground train station in West London, Friday, setting one train on fire.
The ambulance service says none of the injuries is thought to be serious or life-threatening.
Police were alerted to an incident at 8:20 a.m. local time after commuters reported a noise and a flash aboard the District Line train at Parsons Green station. Photos taken inside the train show a white plastic bucket inside a foil-lined shopping bag with wire and flames sticking out.
"There was out of the corner of my eye a massive flash of flames that went up the side of the train," one eyewitness told Sky News, then "an acrid chemical smell."
Other commuters reported seeing people with burns to their faces and bodies scrambling to escape the area. Witnesses say several people, including children were trampled by the crowd of people running away.
"I ended up squashed on the staircase, people were falling over, people fainting, crying, there were little kids clinging on to the back of me," one witness said.
Mark Rowley, head of counterterrorism for the Metropolitan Police, said "we now assess this was a detonation of an improvised explosive device" and a full investigation into the attack in underway.
President Donald Trump responded to the attack, tweeting Friday morning that it was an attack "by a loser terrorist" and they "must be dealt with in a much tougher manner."
Another attack in London by a loser terrorist.These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2017
Loser terrorists must be dealt with in a much tougher manner.The internet is their main recruitment tool which we must cut off & use better!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2017
British Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the BBC the president’s tweet about having the suspect in sight was “pure speculation.”
She added there is no evidence this is the work of ISIS, despite their claims.
England has been the target of four Islamic terrorist attacks already this year, with deadly vehicle attacks near Parliament, on London Bridge and near a mosque in Finsbury Park in north London.
Also, a suicide bomb attack in May at Manchester Arena killed 22 people.
