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'This is for Allah': Witness accounts of London terror attack

Witnesses have described the horrific events of Britain’s latest terror attack, which has reportedly left up to seven people dead and 20 injured.

A van mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge, before men armed with knives emerged and started attacking civilians, around 10pm local time on Saturday.

Around the same time a separate attack took place in nearby Borough Markets, with reports of attackers stabbing people in restaurants.

A witness told the BBC that one man screamed, “This is for Allah,” as he began stabbing people.

“The next thing I saw these three Muslim guys run up with knives,” he said.

“They run up stabbing this girl.

“I couldn't do nothing.

“They were running saying, ‘this is for Allah.’

“They stabbed this girl.

Paramedics attend to the injured. Source: AP Images
Paramedics attend to the injured. Source: AP Images

“I don't know how many times. 10 times maybe 15 times.

“She was going ‘Help me. Help me.’

“I couldn't do nothing.”

The Sun reports the gang, believed to be of five men, had metal canisters strapped to their chests and two have since been gunned down.

It's also reported staff at a packed pub in London Bridge locked the doors as the gang tried to smash their way in. Witnesses saw one man stabbed in the chest five times, according to The Sun.

Source: AP Images
Source: AP Images

Another distraught witness said he was on his way to a train as the chaos unfolded.

“Police were shouting at us to initially run away, sprint away,” he said.

“Yeah, I have never been more scared in my life.”

Residents in buildings around the Borough Markets watched it unfold before being told to evacuate.

One of them told the BBC he saw crowds of people running out on the street shouting to police, “he’s down there.”

“They pointed down Borough Market then the car screeched down in that direction, we heard what sounded like five or six very loud gunshots,” he said.

“Then we heard in another restaurant called the Lettuce, in the other direction, there was a big bang in there, people were running out, the armed police ran in there, it sounded like there were more gunshots.”

He said he decided to stay inside.

“We thought that was going to be the safest option until we saw what Claudia thought looked like one of the bomb disposal robots coming out and going into the pub.

“I shouted down to the police officer, saying, ‘Look should we get out of here now?’

“He said, "Yes, definitely get out of there.’”