Photo: Injured people are assisted after an incident on Westminster Bridge in London. (Reuters: Toby Melville)

Five dead, 40 injured after terrorist attack on UK Parliament, Westminster Bridge

By Europe correspondent James Glenday,

A suspected Islamist terrorist has been shot dead after killing four people and injuring 40 more in a car and knife attack on London's Westminster Bridge and inside the grounds of the Houses of Parliament.

The attack started at about 2:40pm (local time) when a speeding car ran down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before crashing into the railings surrounding the Parliament.

The knife-wielding driver then entered the Parliament grounds and fatally stabbed a police officer, identified as a 48-year-old father with 14 years' service, before himself being shot dead.

The three other fatalities were members of the public hit by the car on Westminster Bridge.

"We've declared this as a terrorist incident and the counter-terrorism command are carrying out a full-scale investigation into the events today," Mark Rowley, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, told reporters.

He would not comment on the identity of the attacker, but said police were working on the assumption that the attack was "Islamist-related terrorism".

Hundreds of officers are investigating the attack, and the investigation is working at a "very fast pace", Mr Rowley said.

'Catastrophic' injuries among casualties from Westminster Bridge

The attack sparked chaos, with dozens of people fleeing the scene.

George Eaton, a journalist with the New Statesman, said he watched from the window of Parliament's Press Gallery as the man charged at police officers and was shot.

"A large crowd was seen fleeing the man before he entered the parliamentary estate," he wrote on the publication's website.

"After several officers evaded him he was swiftly shot by armed police."

Attack on the 'heart' of London no accident, says PM

British Prime Minister Theresa May, who chaired an emergency meeting in the wake of the attack, said the UK's threat level had been set at "severe" for some time, and that would not change.

Attack was a matter of when, not if

"The location of this attack was no accident," she told journalists outside Downing Street.

"The values our Parliament represents — democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law — command the admiration and respect of free people everywhere.

"That is why it is a target for those who reject those values, but let me make it clear ... any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to failure."

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the attack an attack on "every democracy", and said the police presence at Parliament House in Canberra would be increased.

US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Ms May to offer his condolences, and pledged the "full cooperation and support" of the US Government in responding to the attack.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan released a statement saying his thoughts were with those affected and their families, and thanking the police and emergency services who show "tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances".

Offices, Tube station in lockdown

The incident took place on the first anniversary of the deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels.

The entire area was cordoned off and a huge number of police and ambulance officers were on the scene.

All offices in the area, including the ABC's London studios, were placed in lockdown, and police urged everyone to stay inside.

The lockdown on Parliament has since been lifted, and the building will reopen tomorrow.

The attack unfolded near some of the city's most famous tourist sites, including the London Eye, a large Ferris wheel with pods that overlooks the capital, and the Big Ben.

The Underground station at Westminster was shut at police request, Transport for London said.

Armed police conducted a sweep of the parliamentary estate.

On Westminster Bridge, witness Steve Voake told the ABC: "Nobody had any idea what was going on so we just started trying to get everybody off the bridge.

"I was walking across the bridge and suddenly a bus stopped and people started screaming.

"There were a couple of bodies on the other side of the bridge and then the side I was on there was a body in the water with blood around it and then quite quickly a police launch came up and then there was a medic motorcycle."

He said he did not hear gunshots, just screams.

"It's very difficult to say but I think I saw three people on the ground being treated and the one in the water and there were bits of clothing," he said.

"I would say they were pretty badly injured. One of them was covered.

Sultanate of Oman condemns UK terror attacks

23rd, March 2017

Muscat – The Sultanate has condemned the successive terrorist attacks that took place on Wednesday on the Westminster Bridge in front of the British Parliament building in downtown London, in which four people were killed and 20 injured.

The Sultanate in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed its stand and its firm solidarity with the United Kingdom to take all possible action to protect its national security and all necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such attacks against innocent civilians.

In this regard, the Sultanate extended its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished the speedy recovery of those wounded. ONA

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

His Highness the Kuwait Amir condoles with Queen Elizabeth II, UK PM

22/03/2017

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent two cables of condolences to Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Theresa May over the victims of the terrorist attack in London on Wednesday.

His Highness the Amir expressed Kuwait's strong condemnation of the deadly attack on a policeman killing him. It also left several other people killed or wounded.

His Highness the Amir reaffirmed Kuwait's outright rejection of all forms of terrorism and renewed support to the government of the friendly UK in whatever measures it might take to protect the Kingdom's security and stability.

He also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished those injured speed recovery.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent two similar cables of condolences to Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister May.

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent two similar cables.)