Two men with butcher knives, a machete and a meat cleaver attacked and killed a soldier near military barracks in the south London neighbourhood of Woolwich on Wednesday. The attack seemed to have been ideologically motivated by radical Islam, with British police saying their assessment wasn't based solely on video footage of one suspect making political statements against the British government.
One of the suspects has been identified as Michael Adebolajo, a Christian who converted to Islam around 2003. He was identified by two Muslim figures who said he was the man who appeared in several videos made in the minutes after the killing.
Police have also arrested another man and a woman, both aged 29, on Thursday evening as part of the investigation. They are being questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
British Prime Minister David Cameron described it as "an appalling murder." He said there are "strong indications" the attack was an act of terrorism, and other officials have indicated it was inspired by radical Islam.
The soldier killed was Lee Rigby, of 2nd Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Rigby, who was 25 and had a 2-year-old son and served in Afghanistan in 2009. He was also a drummer who participated in public duties at royal palaces in Britain. He was born in Manchester and was a lifelong fan of Manchester United.
The brutal daylight attack galvanised London and raised fears that terrorism had returned to England’s capital city. The attack was not as widespread as others had been in the past, but it brought back memories of when London was attacked and instilled public fear.
Britain has been at the heart of several terror attacks or plots in recent years, the most deadly being the 2005 rush-hour suicide bombings when 52 commuters were killed. More recently, Parviz Khan was convicted in 2008 of plotting to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier in Birmingham.
The Cabinet's emergency committee was immediately convened and security was stepped up at army barracks across London. Cameron cut short his Paris trip to return to London to be at the heart of the
Some extremists have lashed out at Britain's involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recently, groups have also criticized Britain's assistance in the French-led mission to Mali to root out Islamic extremists in the north.
What is sure is that the battle against terrorism must go on. Each time matters appear to have calmed down, an incident takes place which reminds each and every one of us that the threat is still in full flow.
The authorities concerned must continue to keep a watch-out for terrorists, who seem to have taken up a different strategy in past years. The cells have become smaller – as could also be seen by the recent attack in the Boston marathon – making it more difficult for security officers to anticipate their plans.