A van ran into Muslim worshipers leaving a north London mosque, killing one man and injuring eight others on Sunday.
The police on Monday said the incident was being investigated by counter-terrorism officers, as Muslim leaders said worshippers were specifically targeted after leaving prayers at the mosque shortly after midnight.
The 48-year-old driver of the van was detained by members of the public and then arrested by police.
“One man was pronounced dead at the scene… Eight people injured were taken to three separate hospitals,” police said in a statement, adding that two other people were treated for minor injuries.
Eyewitness Abdiqadir Warra told AFP: “He just drove at people. Some of them he took a few meters (along the road).”
Police said the driver had also been taken to hospital and would receive a mental health assessment.
“He has been taken to hospital as a precaution, and will be taken into custody once discharged. He will also be subject of a mental health assessment in due course,” the police statement added.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella body for British Muslims, said the incident occurred outside the Muslim Welfare House on Seven Sisters Road, near the Finsbury Park mosque.
Harun Khan, the head of the MCB, said the van had intentionally run over people who were leaving prayers held during the holy month of Ramadan.
Source: Agencies
