LONDON — Britain was hit by a terrorist attack on Friday morning, when a crude bomb exploded on a crowded London Underground train, injuring 29 commuters, disrupting service during rush hour.
The so called ‘Islamic State’, which has asserted responsibility for a number of deadly terrorist attacks that have struck Europe in the past few years, announced it was responsible for the London Underground bombing.
The bomb exploded at 8:20 a.m. on an eastbound District Line train leaving the Parsons Green station in Southwest London, according to Independent.
#parsonsgreen pic.twitter.com/0OUV819EtE
— Sylvain Pennec (@sylvainpennec) September 15, 2017
The authorities immediately beefed up security around the transit system, as hundreds of police officers and detectives combed the scene for clues.
The United Kingdom’s terror alert level was raised to critical, with military troops set to bolster police forces as they hunt the bomber.
Mark Rowley, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has urged anyone who saw what happened, or took photos or videos of the bombing, to come forward.
Officials said that 29 people were hospitalized, several apparently injured as panicked commuters fled. None had life-threatening injuries, and hospital officials described the victims as “walking wounded.” By late Friday afternoon, eight of the 29 had been discharged.
Prime Minister Theresa May returned to London from her constituency in Maidenhead, west of the capital, and summoned a meeting of the government’s emergency committee, known as Cobra, for the afternoon.
Prime Minister Theresa May: "I've chaired a meeting of COBR following the cowardly attack at #ParsonsGreen." pic.twitter.com/lP7vZ9txlH
— UK…
— Conservatives Group (@ConservativesGE) September 15, 2017
London’s Tube is the oldest subway system and one of the busiest in the world.
