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London terror attack: Police raid homes, name suspect

By Sommer Brokaw

Aug. 15 (UPI) -- British authorities have identified a Sudanese national as the man they say was behind the terrorist strike at London's Houses of Parliament.

Metropolitan Police said Salih Khater was the man who drove his vehicle into a crowd of people before ramming the security gate at the parliament building Tuesday.

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Khater was immediately arrested, officials said. Neil Basu, head of Scotland Yard's Counter-Terror Command, told reporters investigators are trying to find a motive.

"Detectives from the counter-terrorism unit are making other urgent inquiries to ensure that there is no outstanding risk to the public," Basu said.

Three people were hurt in Tuesday's attack.

"Two people have been taken to hospital," Basu said. "One man has been discharged and one woman remains in hospital being treated for serious but thankfully, non-life threatening injuries. Another man was also treated at the scene but didn't require hospital treatment."

Detectives searched a home in Birmingham where Khater previously lived, which is the same area 2017 parliament attacker Khalid Masood also lived.

Police said they also raided another home in Birmingham rented by several Sudanese men.

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"Given that this appears to be a deliberate act, the method and this being an iconic site, we are treating it as a terrorist incident ... no other suspects at the scene have been identified or reported to the police," Basu said.

"There is no intelligence at this time of further danger to Londoners or the rest of the U.K. connected to this incident."

The area has been linked to several suspected terrorists, including a suicide bomber, al-Qaeda plotter and one of the financiers of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the Independent reported.

Police said Khater drove through the night from Birmingham to stake out Westminster Tuesday before ramming the crowd.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said cars may soon be banned from the road that runs in front of the Houses of Parliament.

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