UK police say stabbing spree that killed three in Reading was terrorist attack
- Three people died in the attack, which came about three hours after a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest
- Police had initially said they were not treating the incident as terrorism, but an updated statement reversed that decision
A stabbing rampage in the southern English town of Reading, in which three people were killed and three others were seriously wounded, is being treated as terrorism, police said on Sunday.
A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after the stabbings on Saturday evening in a park in Reading, which is about 40 miles west of London.
A security source told Reuters that the man, who remains in police custody, is a Libyan.
“Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm that the stabbing incident that happened in Reading last night has now been declared a terrorist incident,” Thames Valley Police said in a statement.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has described the incident as appalling, held a meeting on Sunday with security officials, senior ministers and police to be updated about the investigation, a spokesman for Johnson said.
Initially police and the government had said the incident did not appear to be terrorism and they were keeping an open mind as to the motive. They said they were not looking for any more suspects in relation to the incident.
