A man was shot dead by Scotland Yard officers in south London on Sunday in a terror-related stabbing which injured at least three people. The 20-year-old attacker was earlier jailed in 2018 for promoting violent Islamist material and also had encouraged his girlfriend to behead her parents.
The man who was identified as Sudesh Mamoor Faraz Amman, 20, a London student believed to have family roots in Sri Lanka. According to reports, the deceased suspect had been released from prison recently after serving half of a three-year-and-four-month sentence for the possession and circulation of terrorist material.
Amman earlier had been jailed for promoting violent Islamist material and had encouraged his girlfriend to behead her parents, reported Reuters. In 2018, Amman pleaded guilty to the possession of terrorist documents and disseminating terrorist publications. After which he was sentenced to prison.
He was only 17 when he first began committing terrorism offences and was subsequently arrested in April 2018. During the investigation, it was revealed that Amman had downloaded material about making explosives and carrying out terrorist attacks. Messages from computers and phone also hinted that had discussed with his family, friends, and girlfriend his extreme views, reported Reuters.
Further, investigation back then revealed that Amman in 2017 posted a picture of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and told his brother that "the Islamic State is here to stay." He also believed that Yazidi women were slaves and Koran made it permissible to rape them. Amman in a message to his girlfriend encouraged her to behead her parents.
On Sunday, the Metropolitan Police said the incident in Streatham was part of an active counter-terror operation during which the male suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. A device strapped on his body was later established as fake at the end of the attack, which counter-terror officers believe to be "Islamist-related".
Local media reports suggested that the man entered a shop and started stabbing people. Police said the man had a hoax device strapped to his body. Witnesses were quoted as saying they heard three gunshots and saw a man lying on the ground outside a Boots pharmacy, as armed police approached and shouted at those nearby to move back.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to Twitter to thank the emergency services for their response to the attack. "Thank you to all emergency services responding to the incident in Streatham, which the police have now declared as terrorism-related. My thoughts are with the injured and all those affected," he said.
Later, Johnson released a statement from Downing Street to reiterate plans for tougher sentences for convicted terrorists. He said, "I want to pay tribute to the speed and bravery of the police who responded and confronted the attacker - preventing further injuries and violence - and all of the emergency services who came to the aid of others. "Tomorrow [Monday], we will announce further plans for fundamental changes to the system for dealing with those convicted of terrorism offences."
