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Regent's Park stabbing: Mosque sealed off as police hunt attacker | Regent's Park stabbing: Mosque sealed off as police hunt attacker |
(30 minutes later) | |
A manhunt is under way after a man was stabbed to death in central London. | A manhunt is under way after a man was stabbed to death in central London. |
The victim was found with stab wounds in Cunningham Place, near Regent's Park, at 18:15 GMT and died in hospital. | The victim was found with stab wounds in Cunningham Place, near Regent's Park, at 18:15 GMT and died in hospital. |
Scotland Yard said the attack was linked to a raid of the nearby London Central Mosque, which has been sealed off by armed officers. | Scotland Yard said the attack was linked to a raid of the nearby London Central Mosque, which has been sealed off by armed officers. |
A spokeswoman confirmed the stabbing was not terror-related, and officers continued to hunt the attacker. | A spokeswoman confirmed the stabbing was not terror-related, and officers continued to hunt the attacker. |
Bahir Moulana said he saw two people being detained and put in handcuffs by the police at the mosque. | |
"The police just surrounded them. I saw that at around 19:00," he added. | |
He said as he was walking towards the mosque the police were pushing people back before they closed the main gate. | |
With a number of armed officers at the scene, the 39-year-old said it gave him the "jitters", especially following the recent attack at two mosques in New Zealand. | With a number of armed officers at the scene, the 39-year-old said it gave him the "jitters", especially following the recent attack at two mosques in New Zealand. |
"I saw all the blue lights and my heart was in my mouth," Mr Moulana said. | "I saw all the blue lights and my heart was in my mouth," Mr Moulana said. |
With worshippers eventually let out of the building, he added: "There was one girl who said she saw two guys run in. Someone else told me the police were chasing them." | With worshippers eventually let out of the building, he added: "There was one girl who said she saw two guys run in. Someone else told me the police were chasing them." |
A police cordon was in place at the mosque following the incident, with officers flanking parts of the building's perimeter, as a helicopter methodically circled overhead. | |
A section of the A41 Park Road was also closed off by police. | |
No arrests have been made. | |
Footage released on social media shows armed police standing guard outside the mosque on Park Road, about half a mile from where the man was found stabbed. | Footage released on social media shows armed police standing guard outside the mosque on Park Road, about half a mile from where the man was found stabbed. |
The Met tweeted: "Officers continue to deal with a stabbing at Cunningham Place/Park Road, Westminster. | The Met tweeted: "Officers continue to deal with a stabbing at Cunningham Place/Park Road, Westminster. |
"We can confirm that this incident is not terror-related. Searches for suspects are ongoing." | "We can confirm that this incident is not terror-related. Searches for suspects are ongoing." |
Westminster North MP Karen Buck said she was "deeply saddened to hear this awful news". | Westminster North MP Karen Buck said she was "deeply saddened to hear this awful news". |
Knife crime victims in 2019 | Knife crime victims in 2019 |
Motives and circumstances behind killings have varied - as have the age and gender of the victims. | Motives and circumstances behind killings have varied - as have the age and gender of the victims. |