On 29 June 2007, twocar bombsin London were discovered and disabled before they could be detonated. The first device was left near theTiger TigernightclubinHaymarketat around 01:30, and the second was left in Cockspur Street, located in close proximity to the nightclub.
| 2007 London car bombs | |
|---|---|
| Part ofIslamic terrorism in Europe | |
 The Mercedes-Benz on Haymarket covered by a tent | |
| Location | London,England |
| Date | 29 June 2007 |
| Target | HaymarketandPark Lane |
Attack type | Attemptedcar bombing,attemptedmass murder |
| Weapon | Car bomb |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Perpetrators | Bilal AbdullahandKafeel Ahmed |
The first car bomb was reported to thepoliceby the door staff of Tiger Tiger.[1]About an hour later, the second car bomb was ticketed for illegal parking, and an hour after that, transported to the car pound atPark Lane,[2]where staff noticed a strong smell of petrol and reported the vehicle to police when they heard about the first device.[3]
The event coincided with the appointment ofGordon BrownasPrime Ministertwo days earlier, butDowning Streetdismissed suggestions of a connection.[4]A close linkwas quickly established to theGlasgow Airport attackthe following day.Bilal Abdullah,arrested following theGlasgowattack, was later found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in relation to both incidents and sentenced tolife imprisonment,with a minimum of 32 years in prison.
Discovery of car bombs
edit
A bomb was reported to thepoliceby the door staff of theTiger TigernightclubinHaymarket.At the time, anambulance crewwas attending to a minor incident at the nightclub when they noticed suspicious fumes coming from a vehicle.[1]The vehicle was reported to have contained 60 litres ofpetrol,gas cylinders,andnails.[5]Scotland Yardreported that while the gas contained in the canisters and the quantity of the canisters remains unknown, further details would be given after they have been analysed byforensicexperts. The head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command said, "It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been serious injury or loss of life."[6]
According toSky News,the gas cylinders containedpropane,used forpatio heaters.[7]
A second car bomb was believed to have been left in the same area at around the same time. The vehicle received a parking ticket in Cockspur Street at 02:30. At about 03:30, it was transported to the Park Lane car pound. However, staff left the vehicle in a public area after smelling petrol fumes, and they then alerted police upon hearing about the discovery of the bomb at Tiger Tiger.[3][8]
Both vehicles were made byMercedes-Benz.The first was a light-green metallicMercedes-Benz W124saloon,registration number G824 VFK. The second was a blueMercedes-Benz 280E.[9]The cars and their devices were recovered intact for forensic examination and both were found to contain petrol cans, gas canisters and a quantity of nails, with a mobile phone-based trigger.[citation needed]
Suspects
editBilal Abdullah and Kafeel Ahmed were identified as the main suspects behind the London car bombs and the subsequent Glasgow attack. Abdullah was charged with conspiracy to cause explosions,[10]while Ahmed was hospitalised at theGlasgow Royal Infirmaryin critical condition, after he suffered severeburnsto 90% of his body. He was not expected to survive—he had already beenrevivedtwice as of 4 July.[11]Asuicide noteleft behind indicates that they intended to die in the attack.[12]
On 2 August 2007,Strathclyde Policereported that Ahmed had died in theGlasgow Royal Infirmary.[13]His last rituals were held in the UK. On 17 December 2009, Abdullah was convicted atWoolwich Crown Courtof conspiracy to murder for the incidents in both London and Glasgow, and sentenced to life imprisonment with a requirement that he spend at least 32 years in jail.[14]
Investigations were being carried out to unearth Abdullah and Ahmed's possible involvement with the deadly2005 Indian Institute of Science shooting,an attack by unknown suspects still at large.[15]
Timeline
edit| Local time (GMT+1) | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 June 2007 | ||
| 01:25 | London Ambulance Servicecrew report seeing smoke in a car parked inHaymarket.Eyewitnesses claim to have seen the car being driven "erratically" and then crashing into bins, after which the driver got out and ran off.[6] | |
| 02:00 | Metropolitan Police officersinvestigate the vehicle and cordon off the area.[6] | |
| 02:30 | A second car is found illegally parked in Cockspur Street, nearTrafalgar Square.[9] | |
| 03:30 | The second car is taken to a car pound in Park Lane. Police manually disable a device in the first car.[9] | |
| 04:00 | A witness sees the police removing gas canisters from the car. | |
| 08:00 | Piccadilly Circus Underground stationis closed. | |
| 10:25 | The car is taken from Haymarket and sent to theDefence Science and Technology Laboratory'sresearch site atFort Halsteadin Kent.[16] | |
| 10:30 | TheCOBRcommittee meets to discuss the issue. Piccadilly Circus Underground station is reopened. | |
| 14:30 | Park Laneis closed off after a second suspect vehicle is discovered in an underground car park.[17] | |
| 15:45 | A police bomb investigation robot is seen near the entrance to the car park.[17] | |
| 17:00 | Police cordon offFleet Streetafter finding a third suspicious vehicle. | |
| 18:00 | Fleet Street re-opens after nothing is found in the vehicle. | |
| 19:00 | Police confirm that a second device has been located at the Park Lane site.[3] | |
| 20:45 | Police confirm that both vehicles were packed with nails, petrol and gas cylinders.[9] | |
Aftermath
editA spokesperson forPride Londonstated that the route of theirgay pridemarch, set for 30 June 2007, would be unchanged although extra precautions such as removing bins would be implemented.[18]The police do not think the attacks were targeted at the event. Other suspicious vehicles inPark LaneandFleet Street[19]were investigated by police, as well as reports of suspicious cars in other areas of the UK, such asWarrington,[20]which suffered a1993 bomb attackby theProvisional Irish Republican Army.
Office workers, students and tourists were still enjoying a Friday night out in London only hours after the discovery of the bombs. Bars and clubs remained open andLondon mayorKen Livingstoneurged the capital's communities to work together to defeat the terrorism threat.[21]
Security atWimbledonwas increased as a result of the incident.[22]Whitehallsources later stated that "international elements" were believed to be involved with the bomb.[6]Police claim to have a "crystal clear" picture of the driver of the first car and suspect he may be an individual formerly detained in relation to thecaseof convicted terrorist Dhiren Barot.[23]Barot was connected to an earlier "limousine bomb" plot, which also involved cars packed withpropanegas cylinders.[2][24]
CBS Newsreported that a message appeared on the widely usedjihadistInternet forumAl-Hesbahat 08:09, 28 June 2007, stating: "Today I say: Rejoice, by Allah, London shall be bombed." The message went on to mention the recently announcedknighthoodofSatanic VersesauthorSalman Rushdie.[25]
The following day, in another incident, aJeep Cherokeewas set on fire and driven into the main departure terminal ofGlasgow Airportcausing minor damage. Two men, believed to be ofAsianappearance, were arrested at the scene. One, who had been on fire, was taken to a nearby hospital and the other to a police station.Home SecretaryJacqui Smithannounced that the attack is being treated as a terrorist attack and that the United Kingdom terrorism threat level has been elevated from "Severe" to "Critical", meaning "further attacks are expected imminently". In a press conference Glasgow police said this attack and the car bombs in London were believed to be linked.[26][27][28]The BBC reported that a mobile phone found after the arrest of the Glasgow suspects contained the numbers of those involved in the London bombing attempts.
At approximately 21:30 on 30 June, officers of theMetropolitan PoliceandWest Midlands Policearrested two people at junction 16 on the northboundM6 motorwaynearSandbachin south Cheshire, blocking the motorway for about 40 minutes.[29][30]
On 18 December, gallantry awards for two of the Metropolitan Police explosive officers involved in defusing the devices weregazetted.Paul Humphrey received theQueen's Gallantry Medal(the third highest such medal in theUK honours system), and Gary Anthony Wright received theQueen's Commendation for Bravery.[31]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ab"Bomb Attempt: Police Briefing".Sky News.29 June 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 1 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^ab"Two car bombs found in West End".BBC News.29 June 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 15 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^abcGardham, Duncan; Peck, Sally (29 June 2007)."Second car bomb found in London's West End".The Daily Telegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^Kirkup, James; Macdonnell, Hamish (3 July 2007)."Airport attack nothing to do with Brown's Scottish roots, says No 10".The Scotsman.Edinburgh.Retrieved6 July2007.
- ^"Q&A: UK terror investigation".BBC News.1 July 2007.Retrieved30 June2007.
- ^abcd"Police avert car bomb" carnage "".BBC News.29 June 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 6 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^"Two Bombs Were Set To Blow in London".Sky News.29 June 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 1 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^"Police hunt for London car bomber".BBC News.29 June 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 1 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^abcd"London car bombs timeline".BBC News.30 June 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 6 July 2007.Retrieved30 June2007.
- ^"British police charge Iraqi doctor over failed car bombings".The Hindu.Chennai, India. 7 July 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2007.Retrieved7 July2007.
- ^Kent, Paul (4 July 2007)."Ringleader 'Al-Qaeda sleeper'".CourierMail.au.Retrieved4 July2007.
- ^"Glasgow suspects left suicide note".The Australian.6 July 2007.Retrieved6 July2007.[dead link]
- ^"Glasgow Airport attack man dies".BBC News.2 August 2007.Retrieved2 August2007.
- ^"Bomb plot doctor jailed for life".BBC News.17 December 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 30 December 2008.Retrieved9 July2010.
- ^"Bangalore terror link puts IISc attack under scanner".ibnlive. 10 July 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved10 July2007.
- ^"Fort Halstead probes car in London security scare".Kent News.29 June 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 2 July 2007.Retrieved30 June2007.
- ^ab"Central London street sealed off amid new alert".Yahoo! News.29 June 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 1 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^"Car bomb found in London".Pride London.29 June 2007. Archived from the original on 21 June 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^Peter Graff and Mark Trevelyan (29 June 2007)."Police find two car bombs in central London".Reuters UK.Archived fromthe originalon 1 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^"Police lift town exclusion zone".BBC News.29 June 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^Williams, Rachel; Pidd, Helen; Neate, Rupert (30 June 2007)."Bomb alerts and travel chaos fail to deter West End revellers".The Guardian.London.Archivedfrom the original on 2 July 2007.Retrieved30 June2007.
- ^"Security increased at Wimbledon due to terrorist threat".Tennis.Associated Press. 29 June 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 4 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^Brian Ross and Richard Esposito:Terror Plot Involves Islamic Extremists; Police Have 'Crystal Clear' Picture of Suspect,ABC News, 29 June 2007
- ^Casciani, Dominic (15 June 2007)."The men who made a plot possible".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 12 August 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^Tucker Reals (29 June 2007)."Was London Bomb Plot Heralded on Web?".CBS News.Archivedfrom the original on 1 July 2007.Retrieved29 June2007.
- ^"Blazing car crashes into airport".BBC News.30 June 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 7 July 2007.Retrieved30 June2007.
- ^UK Home Office:Current Threat LevelArchived12 August 2006 at theWayback Machine
- ^Revill, Jo; Townsend, Mark; Kelbie, Paul (1 July 2007)."Terror threat 'critical' as Glasgow attacked".The Guardian.London.Retrieved30 June2007.
- ^"UK terror threat now 'critical'".BBC News.1 July 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 8 July 2007.Retrieved1 July2007.
- ^"UK police find suicide note about terror plot – CNN".CNN. 4 July 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 16 July 2007.Retrieved4 July2007.
- ^"No. 58544".The London Gazette(Supplement). 18 December 2007. pp. 18305–18306.
External links
edit- Washington Post Photo Gallery
- In pictures: Car bomb discovered(BBC News)
- London mayor calls for vigilance(BBC)
- Metropolitan Police press conference (video)(BBC)
- Public On Alert As Car Bombing Foiled(Sky News)
- Al-Jazeera News coverage (in English)
- London Heathrow opens after alertBBC News, Heathrow T4 Suspect package