London terror attack: Man shot dead after stabbing rampage
The knifeman who strapped a fake bomb vest to his chest before stabbing two people in South London had been released from prison just a few days prior.
Sudesh Amman was under the watchful eye of counter-terror cops before the “knife obsessed” jihadi went on a rampage on Streatham High Road early this morning.
Terrified witnesses heard shots fire and saw the 19-year-old fall to the ground on Streatham High Road.
Amman, from Harrow, North London, was sentenced to over three years in prison but was let-out on automatic release after serving half his sentence – despite concerns he still held extremist views.
The man was just a teenager when he was arrested and was jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents.
It was also revealed that Amman had shared an Al-Qaeda magazine in his family WhatsApp group and told his siblings “the Islamic State is here to stay”, the court heard.
He owned bomb making manuals and also had plans to carry out acid attacks, his trial was told.
*UPDATED STATEMENT* on our response to this afternoon's incident in #Streatham.
We treated three patients for injuries at the scene, and took all three people to hospital. pic.twitter.com/oDCIO3sh6i— London Ambulance Service (@Ldn_Ambulance) February 2, 2020
A source said Amman was released early because there was nothing the authorities could do under existing laws to keep him behind bars.
But he was put under the strictest licencing terms and that’s why the police were so quick to respond to the incident that occurred today.
Scotland Yard is yet to confirm that Amman was known to counter-terror authorities, but it is believed he was on the watch-list due to the speed at which they responded.
Witness Kiranjeet Singh told the Sun Online that Amman stole a 10-inch knife from his brother’s bargain shop before injuring multiple people who came in his way.
He stabbed a woman in the back before she ran away screaming in pain said another witness, and then he followed that attack by slashing a young man in the chest with a “huge knife”.
Armed forces rushed to the scene, where the knife-wielding man was wearing a suicide vest and shot him three times just after 2pm.