Identity of the London 'Terrorist Attack' Perpetrator Revealed

One day after the 'terrorist attack' in the British capital that resulted in the death of four people, including the attacker, and injuries to dozens, London police announced the identity of the attacker. He is a 52-year-old British national named Khalid Masood. On Wednesday, a driver rammed his vehicle into pedestrians on a bridge near the British Parliament in London and then attacked a police officer with a knife while fleeing. On Thursday afternoon, London police identified the attacker as Khalid Masood, who was born in Kent near London and had been living in Birmingham in recent years. Regarding Khalid Masood, who was known as Adrian Ajao before converting to Islam, some British media, including The Sun and The Independent, report that they have obtained a version of his work history showing that he taught English in Saudi Arabia for four years from 2005 to 2009. However, Reuters writes that there is no evidence to support this, and a spokesperson for the Saudi Interior Ministry referred Reuters to British authorities when asked about it. On Thursday, March 23, news outlets reported that the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack outside the British Parliament and described the attacker as part of its foot soldiers. The Amaq website, which covers news related to this terrorist group, is introduced as the official news agency of ISIS. Earlier, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the attacker was 'born in Britain' and was known to security officials in the country. The British newspaper The Guardian reported on Thursday, March 23, citing Mrs. May, that the attacker was born in the UK and had previously been interrogated by MI5 agents. According to the Prime Minister, this individual had been questioned in a case related to 'extremism,' but she also described him as a 'marginal individual.' Meanwhile, media reports from London indicate that 'eight people' have been arrested in connection with the recent attack in London, with earlier reports stating that British police had arrested 'seven people' related to the incident on Wednesday, March 22. On Wednesday, an individual whose identity has not yet been disclosed rammed his vehicle into pedestrians on a bridge near the British Parliament in London and then attacked a police officer with a knife while fleeing. This incident, which British officials declared as 'terrorist' from the first hours unless other reasons are found, resulted in the death of a police officer and three others. In this context, news agencies reported on Thursday, March 23, that seven people had been arrested in connection with this street attack in Britain, and police forces had searched addresses in several areas, including London and Birmingham. However, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing Mark Rowley, a senior counter-terrorism official in Britain, that '... the attacker acted alone and was influenced by international terrorism.' Nevertheless, the same news agency reported that Michael Fallon, the British Defense Minister, stated that officials are still investigating whether other individuals were involved in this attack. Europe has witnessed several similar terrorist incidents in the past year, including a truck veering into a market in Berlin that left 12 dead, for which ISIS also claimed responsibility. Meanwhile, last Wednesday, March 22, marked the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the Brussels metro and airport that claimed over thirty victims, for which ISIS also accepted responsibility. Following the recent 'terrorist incident' in London, several world leaders condemned the attack. The White House issued a statement saying that after the attack, Donald Trump, the President, spoke with Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, and expressed condolences to the victims' families. François Hollande, the President of France, also expressed solidarity with the British people and government, stating that terrorism is a concern for all of us, and France understands the suffering the British people are enduring today. The London 'terrorist' incident left about 40 injured, including three French students.