http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/22/woolwich-attack-cleaver-knife-jihadist
The incident happened in broad daylight, 400 metres from the perimeter of the Royal Artillery barracks, in Woolwich, south-east London, sparking a terrorist alert that saw the government crisis committee Cobra convene in emergency session.
Witnesses said a man was hacked at by two assailants with weapons including a machete, carrying strong echoes of attacks abroad, at about 2.20pm. It is understood that the victim was a soldier, although neither his identity nor profession was confirmed . It is believed the person died after suffering knife injuries, possibly around the head.
The two men remained on the scene, until armed police arrived up to 20 minutes later. They were shot and apprehended by armed officers and taken to two separate hospitals where they were being treated for their injuries under armed guard in the aftermath of the first al-Qaida inspired attack to claim a life on British soil since the 7 July bombings in London in 2005.
As counter-terrorism officials raced to work out if the incident was a random, macabre event or the start of a trend, astonishing footage emerged which explained why the government was so quick to treat it as a terrorist attack.
In mobile phone video footage first broadcast by ITV News, one of the suspects was seen brandishing a cleaver and a knife. With the body of the victim lying yards away, the man said: "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reason we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
Speaking in a British accent, the man said: "We must fight them. I apologise that women had to witness this today. But in our land, our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government, they don't care about you.
"You think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street when we start bussin' our guns? You think politicians are going to die? No it's going to be the average guy, like you, and your children. So get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so you can all live in peace." In the footage, the man then walks away and talks to another suspected attacker, pictures of whom were also circulating.
The rhetoric was reminiscent of that used in al-Qaida-influenced propaganda, in particular the reference to "our land" – phraseology used by violent jihadists to describe Muslim territory being despoiled by western soldiers.
In a statement, Metropolitan police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said the counter-terrorism command was leading the investigation after two men were arrested.
Reuters reported on Wednesday night that British officials were investigating a possible Nigerian link in the attack.
One witness, identified as James Heneghan, said he and his partner saw two black men attack a young man aged around 20 in a Help for Heroes T-shirt with kitchen knives like he was "a piece of meat".
"They were hacking at him, chopping him, cutting him."
The barracks near to where the attack happened is home to the Princess of Wales's regiment and the King's Troop, which is a ceremonial unit that relocated to Woolwich last year.
David Dixon, headteacher of nearby Musgrave school, said he heard gunshots and locked the school down: "I saw the body lying in the road. We locked the gates, we locked everything down to make sure the children were safe inside … we kept them safe."
Muslim community leaders and law enforcement sources said they were alert to the danger of a violent backlash following the attack, a fear heightened by Woolwich's past history of racial tensions.
The Muslim Council of Britain said: "This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and we condemn this unreservedly. This action will no doubt heighten tensions on the streets of the United Kingdom. We call on all our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim, to come together in solidarity to ensure the forces of hatred do not prevail."
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