A Londoner of Nigerian descent was identified Thursday as one of the two suspects who decapitated a British soldier. The terror strike prompted Prime Minister David Cameron to go into a huddle with top officials and the military put in place additional security measures.
Michael Adebolajo, a 28-year-old Londoner of Nigerian descent, is one of the two suspects who hacked to death the British soldier, said a media report.
The two terror suspects are being held under armed guard at hospitals in London and one of them has been named by Sky News sources as Adebolajo.
The vicious attack on the soldier took place Wednesday in Woolwich, southeast London.
The two attackers were later shot and injured by police. Prime Minister David Cameron said there were strong indications that it was a "terrorist incident".
Adebolajo was "born in Lambeth, grew up in east London. There are still members of his family living in the area".
"He was a student at Greenwich University, but it is not clear what he was studying there. Already on Facebook there are comments from former pupils who say that they went to school with him in east London," said the media report.
The terror attack prompted Cameron Thursday to chair a crisis meeting of officials.
Cameron held the meeting of the emergency response committee Cobra Thursday after returning to London from France.
Home Secretary Theresa May, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Metropolitan Police chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe were among those present at the crisis meet.
"It is completely wrong to blame this killing on the religion of Islam but it is also equally wrong to try to draw any link between this murder and British foreign policy or the actions of British forces who are risking their lives abroad for the sake of freedom," the mayor was quoted as saying.
"The fault lies wholly and exclusively in the warped and deluded mindset of the people who did it. What we need now, for the sake of the victim and his family, is for those killers to be brought to justice."
The savage attack led the defence ministry to further tighten security.
"As a result of the incident in Woolwich, a number of additional security measures have been put in place. As you would expect, we would not talk about the details of these measures," the defence ministry said.
Security has been heightened at the Royal Artillery Barracks which is close to the scene of the murder, and at other barracks across London.
Security personnel searched an address in Lincolnshire believed to be linked to Adebolajo.
Police confirmed Thursday the man killed in London was a "serving soldier".
"We can confirm that the man who died in Woolwich yesterday (Wednesday) is a serving soldier. In line with the wishes of his family we will not be releasing his identity at this stage," London Metropolitan Police said in a short statement through twitter.
The police have yet to release more details of the attack.
As the horror unfolded in London, an eyewitness live tweeted the attack.
"Ohhhhh myyyy God!!!! I just see a man with his head chopped off right in front of my eyes!," rapper Boya Dee live tweeted.
Boya Dee tweeted furiously as two machete-wielding men brutally attacked and killed the soldier.
"These times i was just going to the shop for some fruit and veg and i see all that!" tweeted Boya Dee.
"The two black bredas run this white guy over over then hop out the car and start chopping mans head off with machete!!," said another tweet, which reflects the viciousness of the assault.
What began with a few simple messages about a mundane road crash near a primary school, within minutes turned into the Woolwich terror attack that unfolded live on Twitter.
Stunned Britons took to Twitter and other social media to express their anger and anguish over the terror attack.
Michael Adebolajo, a 28-year-old Londoner of Nigerian descent, is one of the two suspects who hacked to death the British soldier, said a media report.
The two terror suspects are being held under armed guard at hospitals in London and one of them has been named by Sky News sources as Adebolajo.
The vicious attack on the soldier took place Wednesday in Woolwich, southeast London.
The two attackers were later shot and injured by police. Prime Minister David Cameron said there were strong indications that it was a "terrorist incident".
Adebolajo was "born in Lambeth, grew up in east London. There are still members of his family living in the area".
"He was a student at Greenwich University, but it is not clear what he was studying there. Already on Facebook there are comments from former pupils who say that they went to school with him in east London," said the media report.
The terror attack prompted Cameron Thursday to chair a crisis meeting of officials.
Cameron held the meeting of the emergency response committee Cobra Thursday after returning to London from France.
Home Secretary Theresa May, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Metropolitan Police chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe were among those present at the crisis meet.
"It is completely wrong to blame this killing on the religion of Islam but it is also equally wrong to try to draw any link between this murder and British foreign policy or the actions of British forces who are risking their lives abroad for the sake of freedom," the mayor was quoted as saying.
"The fault lies wholly and exclusively in the warped and deluded mindset of the people who did it. What we need now, for the sake of the victim and his family, is for those killers to be brought to justice."
The savage attack led the defence ministry to further tighten security.
"As a result of the incident in Woolwich, a number of additional security measures have been put in place. As you would expect, we would not talk about the details of these measures," the defence ministry said.
Security has been heightened at the Royal Artillery Barracks which is close to the scene of the murder, and at other barracks across London.
Security personnel searched an address in Lincolnshire believed to be linked to Adebolajo.
Police confirmed Thursday the man killed in London was a "serving soldier".
"We can confirm that the man who died in Woolwich yesterday (Wednesday) is a serving soldier. In line with the wishes of his family we will not be releasing his identity at this stage," London Metropolitan Police said in a short statement through twitter.
The police have yet to release more details of the attack.
As the horror unfolded in London, an eyewitness live tweeted the attack.
"Ohhhhh myyyy God!!!! I just see a man with his head chopped off right in front of my eyes!," rapper Boya Dee live tweeted.
Boya Dee tweeted furiously as two machete-wielding men brutally attacked and killed the soldier.
"These times i was just going to the shop for some fruit and veg and i see all that!" tweeted Boya Dee.
"The two black bredas run this white guy over over then hop out the car and start chopping mans head off with machete!!," said another tweet, which reflects the viciousness of the assault.
What began with a few simple messages about a mundane road crash near a primary school, within minutes turned into the Woolwich terror attack that unfolded live on Twitter.
Stunned Britons took to Twitter and other social media to express their anger and anguish over the terror attack.