LONDON _ Two people were killed in a terrorist attack in the heart of London on Friday, according to reports. Several civilians were injured in a stabbing just before 2 p.m. in the London Bridge area on the edge of the capital's financial center before armed police shot the suspect dead.
The BBC reported that two members of the public had died after the attack, without saying where the information came from. Prime Minister Boris Johnson broke away from the general election campaign to rush back to his Downing Street offices where he was briefed on the events. Labour also suspended campaigning in London.
"We are suspending campaigning in London tonight as a mark of respect for those who suffered in this attack," Corbyn said in an emailed statement. "We will not be cowed by those who threaten us. We must and we will stand together to reject hatred and division."
Earlier, Johnson suspended his own campaigning for Friday evening.
Two members of the public have died after the London Bridge attack, the BBC reported, citing a government source.
Police said several people had been injured during the stabbing near London Bridge. A spokeswoman for the Met Police was unable to confirm the report.
Johnson vowed to bring all involved in the attack to justice, promising the U.K. will not be intimidated by terrorism.
"Anybody involved in this crime and these attacks will be hunted down and will be brought to justice," Johnson said in a pooled TV clip. "This country will never be cowed or divided or intimidated by this sort of attack, and our values _ our British values _ will prevail."
Johnson said he would stop his own campaigning this evening and he would be reviewing the matter in the next few hours. In the middle of the 2017 election, campaigning was suspended across all parties after a terrorist attack.
"I urge everyone to be vigilant and one cannot help but think back to what happened in 2017 in a similar part of the city, and I hope people as fast as possible will be able to go back to their business," he said.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on his city to "stand united and resolute in the face of terror" in the aftermath of the "cowardly and evil" attack.
Khan praised the "breathtaking heroism from members of the public who literally ran towards the danger, not knowing what confronted them." He said they didn't know the bomb strapped to the suspect was a hoax. "They really are the best of us, another example of the bravery and heroism of ordinary Londoners running towards danger, risking their own personal safety to try and save others," he said.
"I'm mayor of the greatest city in the world _ one of our strengths is our diversity," he told journalists outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters. "We do know there are people out there who hate our diversity, who hate what we stand for and are trying to seek to divide us."
Khan said the attack on London Bridge "appeared to be an isolated incident," and the police aren't looking for any other suspects.
U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the violence on London Bridge and offered his country's full support, a spokesman said.
"President Trump has been briefed on this morning's attack at the London Bridge and is monitoring the situation," said Judd Deere, deputy press secretary at the White House. "The United States strongly condemns all horrific acts of violence on innocent people, and we pledge our full support to our Ally, the United Kingdom."
Trump is due to visit the U.K. next week for a NATO summit.
U.K. police confirmed they had shot dead one male suspect and declared the attack a terrorist incident. "I'm now in a position to confirm that it has been declared a terrorist incident," said Neil Basu, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, in a statement outside the London police service's headquarters. "I must stress we retain an open mind as to any motive. It would be inappropriate to speculate further at this time."
He added the police believe the item strapped to the body of the suspect was a hoax explosive device.
The streets around London Bridge were locked down, and armed police cleared restaurants and shops in the area. Officers are treating the incident as terror-related "as a precaution," although the circumstances are still unclear, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
During the incident on Friday, armed officers burst into restaurants in the Borough Market area at London Bridge and urged diners to leave as fast as possible. They shouted "Out, out, out," to people at the Black and Blue bar. Diners walked away with their hands on their heads. Nearby, police shouted to pedestrians to "run."
Officers closed off the bridge and evacuated passers-by from the surrounding area. On the north bank of the River Thames, police officers shouted to pedestrians to move back from the bridge 100 meters, and then urged them to take shelter in any nearby building, shouting: "Move inside for your own safety."
The same area of London was the scene of a terrorist attack just a few days before the general election in June 2017 in which eight people were killed and 48 injured. Three Islamist terrorists drove a van at pedestrians on the bridge before arming themselves with knives and running into Borough Market, where they stabbed people in restaurants and pubs. Armed police responded and killed the attackers.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also expressed his concern. "Shocking reports from London Bridge. My thoughts are with those caught up in the incident. Thank you to the police and emergency services who are responding," he said on Twitter.
Johnson said he's being kept informed about the unfolding incident at London Bridge, in which there have been reports of gunshots and stabbings. Police said they are "currently responding to this incident as though it is terror-related."
Armed police locked down the bridge and evacuated the area. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that after being called to a stabbing nearby, they had detained one man. A number of people have been injured, they said.
Home Secretary Priti Patel also posted on Twitter, saying she's "very concerned by ongoing incident at London Bridge. My thoughts are with all affected." She urged people to follow the advice of the police. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he's in "close contact" with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
