LONDON: British police investigating the deadly attacks on London Bridge on Saturday said they had arrested three more suspects, as footage of the moment officers shot the assailants dead appeared online.
Counter terrorism officers, backed up by armed colleagues, arrested two men on the street in Ilford, east London, late on Wednesday, while a third was arrested at a house nearby, police said in a statement.
Two of the men, aged 27 and 29, were held on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism while the third was detained over suspected drugs offences.
Eight people were killed and 50 injured after three Islamist militants drove into pedestrians on London Bridge late on Saturday, then attacked revellers in nearby bars and restaurants with knives.
Closed circuit TV footage, which appeared online and in British media, showed the attackers - Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba - cornering a victim and starting to stab him before police are seen arriving and opening fire.
Police have previously said eight officers who rushed to scene fired about 50 rounds, killing the three attackers.
The Times newspaper also said it had obtained footage of the men laughing and joking five days before the attack as they met outside the Ummah Fitness Centre, a gym in east London where Butt trained.
Earlier this week the gym put a note on its door which read: "While Mr Butt did occasionally train here at UFC gym we do not know him well nor did we see anything of concern."
Police and the security agencies are facing questions about whether they missed chances to thwart the attack.
Butt had appeared in a television documentary called "The Jihadis Next Door", as one of a group of men who unfurled an Islamic State flag in a park and who had connections with known radical preachers.
Zaghba, an Italian-Moroccan national, was identified as a possible militant threat after he was stopped at Bologna airport in 2016 as tried to reach Syria. He was not charged, but local police monitored him carefully and said they had tipped off Britain when he subsequently moved to London.
The authorities have said Butt was known to police and the domestic security service MI5 but there was no intelligence that an attack was being planned. They said they were unaware of the other two men.
Police have made more than a dozen arrests in the wake of the London Bridge attacks, but most have now been released without charge.
In a separate investigation not linked to the London Bridge attacks, officers backed up by armed police arrested three men in east London on Thursday on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism.
UK arrests three as footage of London Bridge attack appears online
UK arrests three as footage of London Bridge attack appears online
Chinese aerospace firm eyes up to $10 billion investment in Pakistan, ministry says
- China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan, with several Chinese private sector firms undertaking joint ventures in the South Asian country
- China’s Aerospace Development Industry Investment Group Co. says it plans investments in advanced technology industries and mining and minerals
ISLAMABAD: A Chinese aerospace firm has expressed interest in investing up to $10 billion in various sectors in Pakistan, the information ministry in Islamabad said on Thursday.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), besides several Chinese private sector manufacturers undertaking joint ventures in the South Asian country.
Pakistan offers significant investment potential owing to its strategic geographic location connecting South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, a large consumer market of over 240 million people, and a young and dynamic workforce. The country also provides attractive incentives for investors.
On Thursday, officials of the Aerospace Development Industry Investment Group Co. of China met with Pakistan’s Board of Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh to discuss investment opportunities and potential avenues in the country, according to the Pakistani information ministry.
“They informed that Aerospace Development Industry Investment Group is an international investment group with an AAA corporate credit rating, engaged in strategic industrial investments in areas including advanced technologies, aerospace development, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, drone technologies, and energy projects,” the ministry said.
“The delegation expressed keen interest in investing between USD 5 billion to USD 10 billion in Pakistan across multiple sectors including mining and minerals, advanced technology industries, and industrial development. They also emphasized their interest in collaborating with Pakistan on skill development initiatives.”
Sheikh appreciated the interest shown by the Chinese company, saying that Pakistan is taking concrete steps to improve investment climate in the country.
“The Board of Investment is actively working on regulatory reforms to facilitate investors, promote ease of doing business and streamline business procedures,” he was quoted as saying.
The minister referred to the Pakistan–China Business-to-Business Conference held in September last year, where more than 300 companies from Pakistan and China participated and signed 167 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening bilateral investment and trade cooperation.
“Pakistan and China already have a Free Trade Agreement, and Pakistan is now focusing on increasing its value-added exports to further enhance economic cooperation,” he said.
Sheikh also briefed the delegation on the incentives available for investors in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs), including exemption from income tax and sales tax on the import of machinery, to promote industrial investment.
