Convicted Terrorist Revealed As Man Who Killed Two In London Bridge Attack

A man who has previously been convicted for terrorism-related offences has been confirmed by police as the suspect who carried out Friday's deadly attack on London Bridge.

Metropolitan Police said they were now in the position to confirm the identity of the suspect, who officers shot dead, as being  28-year-old Usman Khan, who was convicted in 2012 for terrorism offences.

Khan was released from prison less than a year ago in December 2018.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said a key line of inquiry would be to determine how Khan came to carry out the attack which left two dead and many others injured in London.

Basu said authorities are still trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the terror incident but they now believe the attacker attended an event earlier on Friday afternoon at nearby Fishmonger's Hall.

"We believe that the attack began inside before he left the building and proceeded onto London Bridge, where he was detained and subsequently confronted and shot by armed officers," Basu said.

Two members of the public are confirmed dead, according to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, who called the attack "terrible and mindless".

Video shared on social media after the incident showed armed officers opening fire on a man who had been pinned down on the bridge walkway.

The suspect had a "hoax explosive device" attached to his body.

The attack started at a local conference venue and police were called to the scene at 1:58 p.m. local time, said Dick in a press gathering.

Five minutes later, police confronted the attacker, she said, adding that members of the public showed "extraordinary courage" by stepping in to tackle him.

The London Ambulance Service says it took three people to hospital after today’s incident.

The London Bridge station has been re-opened.

"In coming days, you will be seeing more police patrolling our streets, both armed and unarmed," Dick said.

She called London a great city "because we embrace each other's differences" and said those who seek to divide Londoners "will never, ever succeed".

Dick confirmed police will be working at "full tilt" to find out more details on the attack.

The names of the two people killed and those injured have not yet been revealed.

More to come.