LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – British police said Friday they had made further “significant” arrests over the Islamist-inspired terror attack on parliament, as they released the first picture of the homegrown killer who left four people dead.
Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old Briton with a history of violent offenses but no terrorist convictions, was shot by police on Wednesday after a rampage through Westminster.
Two other suspects are in custody following searches at 21 locations, mostly around London, in the central city of Birmingham and in the northwestern city of Manchester.
The Islamic State group claimed that Britain’s deadliest terror attack in 12 years was conducted by one of its “soldiers” acting on a call to target countries in the United States-led coalition fighting the jihadists.
Police said there was no further threat, but counter-terrorism commander Mark Rowley said they were trying to establish whether Masood acted alone “or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him.”
Released by police, the passport-style photo of Masood, who also used the names Adrian Elms and Adrian Russell Ajao among other aliases, shows a mixed-race man with a shaved head and a beard.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said he was known to intelligence services as a “peripheral” figure some years ago but there was no warning of his plans to stage an attack.
At least 50 people from 12 different countries were injured when Masood ploughed his rented car into crowds of people walking along the pavement on Westminster Bridge, before crashing the vehicle into the fence outside parliament.
A total of 11 people have been arrested over the attack, their ages ranging from 21 to 58, all on suspicion of preparation of terrorist attacks. All four women have since released, one on bail, and five of the men also have been released.
