UK’s Johnson vows to act as convicted terrorist named in London attack

London, Dec 1 (AFP/APP): Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed Saturday to review Britain’s sentencing system after a convicted terrorist released early from prison stabbed two people to death and wounded three in a London Bridge attack.

Members of the public were hailed as heroes for preventing even greater loss of life by tackling Usman Khan — one armed with a five-foot (1.5-metre) narwhal tusk and another with a fire extinguisher — before police shot him dead.

Video footage of the confrontation showed Khan, 28, being challenged by a man, reportedly a Polish chef, wielding the tusk — believed to have been grabbed from the historic hall where the stabbings began — as another person sprayed him with the extinguisher.

Two killed by knifeman as terror returns to London Bridge

Khan had been conditionally released from jail last December after serving less than half of a 16-year prison sentence for terrorism, and was wearing a fake explosive device.

On Saturday, the Islamic State group released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.

“The person who carried out the London attack… was a fighter from the Islamic State, and did so in response to calls to target citizens of coalition countries,” IS said, referring to a multi-country alliance against the group.