Two men attacked another man near a London military barracks today, in what British authorities were investigating as a possible terror act. One man is dead and two others were injured.
While details were scant, Prime Minister David Cameron called the killing "truly shocking" and said he had asked Home Secretary Theresa May to call an urgent meeting of the government's emergency committee.
A British government official who spoke only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the investigation said the details that had emerged were indicative of a "terrorist-motivated attack."
Soldier 'beheaded' in 'terror attack' outside London barracks
Several witnesses described seeing a "beheading" while another described seeing a man wearing a Help for Heroes T-shirt being attacked with a machete-style knife and dumped in a south east London street.
Woolwich and Greenwich MP NickRaynsford said it was his understanding that one person, a serving soldier, was dead and his two alleged killers were taken to hospital.
London Ambulance Service confirmed a man was found dead at the scene, while two other men were taken to hospital, one of them in a serious condition.
One witness, identified as James, 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 this poor guy, literally," he told LBC radio.
"They were hacking at him, chopping him, cutting him."
Fighting back tears, he added: "These two guys were crazed.
"They were just animals. They dragged him from the pavement and dumped his body in the middle of the road and left his body there."
He said that after the "horrendous" attack, the two men, in their 20s, just stood around, waving knives and a gun, even asking people nearby to take pictures of them "as if they wanted to be on TV or something".
"They were oblivious to anything, they were more worried about having their photo taken, running up and down the road," he said.
"They had no intention of running off or leaving or anything.
"In my opinion, they were waiting for the police to arrive to be shot by the police. That's the only thing I can think.
"It's horrendous what they were doing to that guy."
Some "brave" women tried to shield the man on the ground from them, he added.
He also said that it was 20 minutes before armed police arrived at the scene.
"When the armed police came flying around the corner, the man with the beanie hat, the tall guy, he charged at the police vehicle," he said.
"A shot was fired by the other guy with the gun.
"Six shots were fired, both men went down and we now know they are dead as well."
London Air Ambulance confirmed that one patient was airlifted from the scene, while another was taken away by road ambulance.
Mr Raynsford said he had spoken to both borough commander Richard Wood and Lieutenant Colonel Bob Christopher at Woolwich Barracks.
He said: "The incident occurred early afternoon. One individual is dead, two others are seriously injured and in hospital.
"The circumstances causing the incident are not yet clear. It's been suggested it was the product of a road traffic accident, but that's pure speculation.
Link
According to witness statements here, it was not a road traffic accident.
17.43 The attackers shouted "Allahu Akbar" (the Arabic expression meaning "God is Great"), according to Whitehall sources - BBC News.
18.28 Fred Oyat, who saw the incident from the window of his flat, tellsJosie Ensor that two black or Middle Eastern men were wondering around the street, walking over the dead body on the floor:
"The two men were shouting," he says. "They had three knives including a machete and a meat cleaver as well as an old gun.
"The white man was already dead on the floor, his fade covered in blood. He had a big neck wound and his neck was almost off."
"They seemed to be encouraging people to take photos and waited there until police arrived as if they wanted a fight.
"There was blood running down the streets. I still can't stop shaking."
18.22 One witness, who declined to be named, tells Jasper Coppingthe attackers were "praying likeit was a sacrifice" and "making people take videos".
Audio of Woolwich attack witness James
listen to ‘Woolwich Attack: Eyewitness James’ on Audioboo
It Took British Cops 20 Minutes To Respond To Islamist Terror Attack Because They Had To Wait For Officers With Guns To Show Up…
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