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'Significant arrests' made in UK terror attack case

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Press Trust of India London
Two more "significant arrests" have been made by Scotland Yard in connection with the terror attack on the UK Parliament which claimed lives of four victims and injured 50 people.

Metropolitan Police Acting Deputy Commissioner and Head of Counter Terrorism Mark Rowley said in a statement that a total of nine persons remain in custody and one woman has been released on bail.

He also appealed to the public to come forward with any information on Khalid Masood, the terror suspect behind the attack, who was born as Adrian Russell Ajao in Dartford before converting to Islam.

"Whilst there is still no evidence of further threats, our determination is to find out if either he [Masood] acted totally alone, inspired by perhaps terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him. To that end and as part of covert activity, the Met [Police] has made two further significant arrests overnight, one in the West Midlands and one in the north west," Rowley said.
 

He also revealed that the Counter Terrorism Command were carrying out five searches of addresses across the UK, having concluded 16 previously.

The Met Police have seized 2,700 items from these searches, including "massive amounts" of computer data and spoken to 3,500 witnesses and have been trawling through hundreds of uploads of video images.

Meanwhile, the fourth victim of the attack on Westminster Bridge in London was named as 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from south London.

The others killed included teacher Aysha Frade and US tourist Curt Cohrane and police officer Keith Palmer.

Two people remain in hospital in "critical condition" and one of them has "life threatening" injuries.

Two Met Police officers injured in the attack also remain in hospital with "significant injuries".

At least 50 people were injured with 31 requiring hospital treatment as the attack unfolded and those affected included at least 12 nationalities, the Met Police said.

The 52-year-old terror suspect who rammed a high-speed car into the side railings of the House of Commons before stabbing police officer Palmer to death at the entrance of the Houses of Parliament is said to have used a number of aliases, including Adrian Elms, and was known to UK police.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, Metropolitan Police said.

Masood was born to a white mother and black father and is said to have been affected by racism while growing up.

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First Published: Mar 24 2017 | 3:32 PM IST

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