Five killed in attack on Britain's Westminster

PanARMENIAN.Net - Five people have died and at least 40 were injured after an attacker drove a car along a pavement in Westminster, stabbed a policeman and was shot dead by police in the grounds of Parliament, BBC News reports.

The dead officer has been named as PC Keith Palmer, 48, a husband and father.

PM Theresa May said the attack was "sick and depraved" and struck at values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech.

The attacker has not been named by police.

Acting Deputy Commissioner and head of counter terrorism at the Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, said they think they know who he is and that he was inspired by international and Islamist-related terrorism, but gave no further details.

The attack unfolded at about 14.40 GMT when a single attacker drove a grey Hyundai i40 along a pavement over Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament in central London, killing at least two people and injuring many more.

The car then crashed into railings outside the Houses of Parliament.

The attacker, armed with a knife, ran to Parliament where he was confronted by the police. PC Palmer - who was not armed - was then stabbed and killed.

The attacker was shot dead by armed officers.

Rowley paid tribute to PC Palmer, saying: "He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen."

"Heartbroken" former colleague, Conservative MP James Cleverly, paid tribute to the "lovely man" he had known for 25 years. The pair had served together in the Royal Artillery before PC Palmer became a policeman.

Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood - a former Army officer whose brother died in the Bali terrorist bombing in 2002 - attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation of Pc Palmer.

One woman was killed after being hit by the attacker's car before it reached Parliament. She was confirmed dead by a doctor at St Thomas' Hospital.

Britain's last terror attack was the assassination of MP Jo Cox by a pro-Nazi sympathiser in her constituency in northern England.

The worst previous attack in London was in 2005 when four British suicide bombers inspired by Al-Qaeda attacked the transport system, killing 52 people.

Britain's allies reacted with shock and vowed to stand with London in the fight against terror, AFP says.

US President Donald Trump and French President Francois Hollande both spoke to May and Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany stood with Britons "against all forms of terrorism".

Lights on the Eiffel Tower in Paris were switched off at midnight in solidarity with victims of the attack.

Social media users shared an altered image of a London Underground sign reading "We Are Not Afraid" and the hashtag #PrayforLondon trended on Twitter.

May was in parliament at the time of the attack and was seen being ushered away in a silver car as what sounded like gunfire rang out, British media reported.

Three French pupils on a school trip were among those hurt and a seriously injured woman was rescued from the River Thames following the incident.

Five South Korean tourists were wounded, the Yonhap news agency reported, while the Romanian foreign ministry said two Romanians were also injured.

A doctor at nearby St Thomas' Hospital said they were treating people with "catastrophic" injuries.

Press Association news agency photos believed to be of the attacker lying on an ambulance stretcher showed he was wearing black clothes and had a beard.