British soldier ‘hacked to death’ by unidentified assailants
British soldier hacked to death in broad daylight in Woolwich, south east London.
Two unidentified man, suspected to be terrorists, killed a British soldier near an army barracks in London as media reports suggest his attackers tried to behead him while shouting 'Allahu Akbar".
The two men were later shot and wounded by police.
"This is a sickening and barbaric attack," Home Secretary Theresa May said in a statement, as Prime Minister David Cameron called an emergency security meeting.
Giving his first reaction to the attack, Cameron said on his official Twitter account: "The killing in Woolwich is truly shocking - I have asked the Home Secretary to chair a COBRA meeting."
Britain's government convenes meetings of its emergency security committee only to deal with incidents that have implications for national security. A security source told Reuters on condition of anonymity that it was too soon to say whether the incident was terror related.
Security was tightened in the area immediately after the attack but details were sketchy. Helicopters hovered above the residential area and nearby roads were sealed off by the police.