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A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Wednesday after two people were stabbed in a heavily Jewish neighborhood of North London, according to authorities.
London’s mayor said the “appalling attack on two Jewish Londoners” was part of a “series of shocking antisemitic attacks” in the British capital, and he said police would increase patrols in the area.
The suspect was seen running along a main road in Golders Green, long home to a large Jewish population, “armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public,” according to a statement by Shomrim, a community group that runs a volunteer neighborhood watch program.
The group said members “responded immediately and detained the suspect,” until police “attended and deployed a taser” to take the man into custody.
James Marlow/via REUTERS
The London Metropolitan Police said counterterrorism officers were leading the investigation and they confirmed one man had been placed under arrest on suspicion of attempted murder. They said both victims were in stable condition.
The two victims were initially treated by Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer emergency response organization, according to Shomrim.
CBS News’ partner the BBC reported that the two victims were Jewish men who sustained serious injuries.
Another local group, the Community Security Trust, said in a social media post that there “has been a knife attack today in Golders Green. The suspect has been arrested,” offering thanks to Shomrim, Hatzola and the London police “for their swift response.”
Speaking in parliament Wednesday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning.”
“There is now a police investigation and I think we all need to do everything we can to support that … and be absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offenses, the like of which we’ve seen too much recently,” he said.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, in a social media post, confirmed “an appalling attack on two Jewish Londoners in Golders Green.”
“London’s Jewish community have been the target of a series of shocking antisemitic attacks. There must be absolutely no place for antisemitism in society,” said Khan, adding that police had “stepped up high visibility patrols in the area.”
The attack comes after a string of incidents over the past month targeting Jewish communities in north London, including an arson attack that saw several of Hatzola’s ambulances destroyed in the same area.
After another incident, an attack on a synagogue in northwest London on April 18, the U.K.’s chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said the “sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community is gathering momentum.”
On Tuesday, after an attempted arson attack in the same area, the head of policing in northwest London said: “We recognize that this incident will heighten concerns in the Golders Green area, where residents have already faced a series of attacks.”
“Since last month’s attack in Golders Green, we have stepped up our work to reassure communities,” he said. “This includes armed police patrols as well as deployments of officers from Project Servator, who are specially trained to spot anyone who may be planning or preparing to commit criminal acts.”
