Police arrest 18-year-old man in connection to London Tube blast
Police have arrested an 18-year-old man for alleged terror offenses in connection with the attack on the London Tube train on Friday. Kent police arrested the suspect in the port area of Dover. Police said the arrest was "significant" but that the nationwide terror threat level would remain at "critical." An explosion inside a train at London's Parsons Green station left 29 commuters injured.
On September 15, at 8:20 am local time, an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded inside a local train at the Parsons Green station. The BBC has reported that the explosion didn't go according to plan, possibly because the bomb-maker got the explosive's recipe wrong. As a result, the bomb didn't cause any deaths. It did leave the 29 commuters injured, mostly with burns.
UK PM Theresa May said the country's threat level has been raised to critical, as police hunt for the perpetrators of the London Tube bombing. The critical level implies that an attack is expected imminently. Around 1,000 armed military personnel will be deployed across the country to enhance security. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack that has left 29 injured.
PM May said: "The public will see more armed police on the transport network and on our streets, providing extra protection. This is a proportionate and sensible step which will provide extra reassurance and protection while the investigation progresses."
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said the suspects are being chased down. He said hundreds of police officers have been "trawling" through CCTV to find the suspects. He said investigators were only aware of the use of one IED. Rowley said it was "very routine" for ISIS to claim responsibility for such attacks regardless of whether it has had any previous contact with the perpetrators.
US President Donald Trump earlier spoke to May to express his sympathies about the attack. In a tweet, he later condemned the attack by "loser terrorists" and "sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard." May later rebuked Trump for promoting speculation. "I never think it's helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation," she said.
