A man wielding a machete and shouting “This is for Syria” was apprehended by police following a stabbing incident at east London’s Leytonstone Tube station.
The Metropolitan Police have said they are treating the attack as a ‘terrorist incident’.
Commuters claim tyhat they heard a man shout out “this is for Syria” during the attack at the ticket hall of Leytonstone underground train station, in the Borough of Waltham Forest, East London.
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The suspect was tasered by police after seriously wounding an elderly man, by stabbing him and slashing his throat. A graphic video of the incident appeared online.
The Independent reports:
Several eyewitnesses claimed on Twitter that the alleged knifeman shouted “this is for Syria” during the attack.
A video apparently of the incident and posted on Twitter shows a large pool of blood spattered across the ticket hall as the alleged knifeman is Tasered by a police officer.
In the video the knifeman approaches and gesticulates at two people in the station.
As they approach him he lashes out with his knife and appears to slash one of them in the neck area.
Moments later a uniformed police officer arrives on the scene and fires his Taser at the man.
Part 2 👀 Wats goin on mate pic.twitter.com/dgnlsI1sow
— #UnoMyStyle (@BigTobzsf) December 5, 2015
Terrified passengers, some with children, can be seen running across the east London Tube station away from the scene.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Police were called at 7.06pm on Saturday 5 December to reports of a stabbing at Leytonstone Underground station. The male suspect was reportedly threatening other people with a knife.
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One witness provided The Daily Express with her account of the attack, claiming that Syria was mentioned in the aftermath of the stabbing:
Laurynas Godvisa said: “So as I was going to Leytonstone station was dressed to go to Christmas dinner with people from work.
“As I walked down I just saw a lot of people running but I ignored it and kept walking to get my train, but suddenly what I saw I couldn’t believe my eyes and what I saw was I guy with a knife and a dead guy on the floor.
“I was so scared I ran for my life. After good 10-15 police came and got the guy and arrested him.
“And as he was coming out this is what he said “This is what happens when you f*** with mother Syria all of your blood will be spilled”.”
People who had just got off the Tube ran back onto the train in a bid to escape the attacker.
A Met Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 19:06hrs on Saturday, 5 December, to reports of a stabbing at Leytonstone underground station. The male suspect was reportedly threatening other people with a knife.
“Met officers attended the scene. A man was arrested at 19:14hrs and taken to an east London police station where he remains in custody.
“A Taser was discharged by one of the Met officers.
“Officers from British Transport Police are now dealing with the incident at the scene. We are aware of one man having sustained serious stab injuries. We await details of any other injuries.”
A spokeswoman from London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 7:09pm to reports of an assault at Leytonstone underground station.
“We sent a number of resources to the including our joint response unit, an incident response officer, an ambulance crew and London’s Air Ambulance to the scene.
“We treated a man for stab wounds.
