The Middle East's Leading English Language Daily Wednesday, 13, July, 2005 (06, Jumada al-Thani, 1426)
Police Identify 4 Bombers in London Blasts Mushtak Parker, Arab News LONDON, 13 July 2005 In a dramatic development yesterday afternoon, anti-terrorist police confirmed that it was likely that all four bombers responsible for the terrorist attacks in London last Thursday may have died in the attack, and that they were all British-born. This raised the specter that they were suicide bombers, although police are playing down this aspect. "There is strong forensic and other evidence that it is very likely that one of the men died in the explosion at Aldgate East station," stressed Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Anti-Terrorist Unit at Scotland Yard. Another bomber is believed to have died in the explosion on the No. 30 bus at Tavistock Square. Police are still trying to establish whether the remaining two bombers were killed in the explosions in King's Cross and Edgware Road stations. Police yesterday morning also executed six search warrants at various premises in the Hyde Park, Burley and Beeston areas of Leeds, including the home addresses of three of the suspected bombers. Police have since then arrested four men who they believe were also involved in the London bombings. They are on their way to London for further questioning. As news filtered out about the raids in Leeds, politicians, the police and community leaders appealed for calm. "We have worked painstakingly to put together every shred of evidence. I must emphasize that the bombings are the work of extremists and criminals," stressed Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman, head of Specialist Operations at Scotland Yard. "No one should smear or stigmatize any of the communities because of these acts. We need to be reassuring and we ask for calm from our communities. It is at times like this when communities do bind together." At the same time police in West Yorkshire and in Luton are taking extra precautions as a result of material found at one of the West Yorkshire addresses and in an abandoned car found at Luton station car park, which police now believe is connected to the investigation. "Police are taking measures to ensure that there is no risk to the public," said AC Hayman. British intelligence agencies had been monitoring the movements of the four men from the West Yorkshire area. The breakthrough came when police sifting through almost 2,500 CCTV tapes identified footage of three of the four men arriving by train at King's Cross station from West Yorkshire at about 8.30 on Thursday morning. The fourth man, who set out from West Yorkshire to London, was reported missing by concerned relatives. Police also got vital information from several hundred witness statements and from over 1,000 phone calls to the anti-terrorist hotline. The discovery of the CCTV footage and information coming from the phone calls, prompted the raids at the six addresses in Leeds. There is also strong speculation that police had some kind of a tip-off. The mood among the police yesterday had been markedly upbeat and the day's developments had been very significant. "We are conducting a complex and intensive terrorist investigation. Personal documents bearing the names of three of the four men were found close to the scene of the three Underground train explosions. The property of the man reported missing (the fourth bomber) was found on the route 30 bus. Property of the second man was found in the explosion at Aldgate East; and of the third man at both Aldgate East and Edgware Road stations," explained DAC Peter Clarke, head of the Anti-Terrorist Unit at Scotland Yard. "I know that the people of West Yorkshire will have concerns. I also know there will be those who would wish to exploit this situation. We urge people to continue to be alert, but not alarmed. We do not want any extreme response," added DAC Clarke. Greg Mulholland, the Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, in whose constituency three of the addresses raided were located, stressed that the communities have to come to terms with and "deal with the fact that there were terrorists in our midst. We must not let the terrorists divide us. We won't be divided. We won't be defeated. This is a multicultural and harmonious constituency which I am proud to represent. I am speaking to all sections of the community to make sure we stand united." The most remarkable aspect of yesterday's developments was that not once did the police refer to Islamic or Muslim terrorists. Instead they emphasized that these were the acts of British-born bombers. Copyright: Arab News © 2003 All rights reserved. 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