A knife attack on three people at a Tube station in London is being treated as a terrorist incident, UK  police have said.

The man, who was said to be wielding a machete, reportedly said "This is for Syria" after he launched the attack at Leytonstone station in east London.

Shocking video footage posted online shows a large pool of blood spattered across the floor of the ticket hall as a man, believed to be 29, is seen threatening other passengers in the station.

A man believed to be aged 56 suffered knife wounds which were serious but not believed to be life threatening while two other people sustained minor injuries in the attack late yesterday.

Commander Richard Walton, who leads the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "We are treating this as a terrorist incident. I would urge the public to remain calm, but alert and vigilant.

"The threat from terrorism remains at severe, which means that a terrorist attack is highly likely."

A spokeswoman for 10 Downing Street said: "There is an ongoing police investigation into the attack in London. We are monitoring the situation closely as further details emerge."

In the video, the knifeman approaches and gesticulates at two people in the station.

As they approach him he lashes out with his knife and appears to slash one of them in the neck area.

Moments later a uniformed police officer arrives on the scene and fires his Taser at the man.

In another video of the incident posted online, the man is pinned down on the floor by two police officers as another man can be heard shouting out to him: "You ain't no Muslim bruv."

Police said they were called at 7.06pm to reports that a number of people had been stabbed at the station and a man was threatening people with a knife.

A man was arrested just before 7.15pm and taken to an east London police station where he remained in custody.

Mr Walton appealed to anyone near Leytonstone Underground station at around 7pm who saw anything suspicious to call the anti-terror hotline on 0800 789 321.

"Anyone who may have captured video or photographic footage of the incident is also urged to make contact with the Counter Terrorism Command via the Anti-Terror hotline," he said.

Commenting on the attack, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn MP ge of the incident is also urged to make contact with the Counter Terrorism Command via the Anti-Terror hotline," he said.

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command are now investigating the incident.

 

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