London: British police shot a suspected attacker outside the Houses of Parliament in London on Wednesday after an officer was stabbed in what was described as a "terrorist" incident.
According to witness reports, a car also ploughed into several bystanders on the nearby Westminster Bridge before crashing into railings outside parliament.
One eyewitness, Jayne Wilkinson, told Press Association she had seen the drama unfold. "We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long".
"And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood. He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt. He was running through those gates, towards Parliament, and the police were chasing him. The building in the heart of the British capital was immediately sealed off and MPs and staff ordered to remain inside. We are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise," police said in a statement.
David Lidington, the leader of parliament's lower House of Commons who is responsible for arranging government business, told MPs: What I am able to say to the house is there has been a serious incident.
"It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police. "There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster," he said.
He said he could not go into further details until there was confirmation from the police and security authorities. US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the incident, describing it as big news."
