LONDON — The man who killed three people in a terror attack near Parliament was identified Thursday as Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old man with a lengthy rap sheet but no known prior terrorism convictions, police said.

"Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack," Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Masood was known to police and had a "range" of previous convictions for assault, possession of offensive weapons and other offenses, the statement said.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage; his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, police said.

Police say Masood was the man who plowed his car into a crowd on the iconic Westminster Bridge on Wednesday before fatally stabbed a police officer outside Parliament.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack through its Aamaq News Agency and called the assailant, who was shot dead by police, a "soldier of the Islamic State." The claim couldn't immediately be verified.

The fatalities included a Utah man on a trip with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, his family confirmed Thursday. Kurt Cochran's wife, Melissa, was hospitalized with serious injuries in the attack that killed three people and injured dozens Wednesday when a man

Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday that the attacker was British-born and known to security officers. She said the man had been investigated by MI5, the domestic security agency, "some years ago" regarding concerns about violent extremism.

"He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic — he was not part of the current intelligence picture," she said, adding there was "no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot."

May's comments came as British police made multiple arrests Thursday in connection with the attack. Eight people were detained in raids on various addresses in London and Birmingham, 125 miles northwest.

The prime minister said the best response to the attack was "millions of acts of normality."

Mark Rowley, the acting deputy commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, earlier revised down the number of dead to three. In addition to Kurt Cochran, the victims include Keith Palmer, 48, a police officer with 15 years of service, and Aysha Frade, a British mother and schoolteacher.

"Our investigation is ongoing — developing all the time — and is focused on (the attacker's) motivation, his preparation and associates," Rowley said. He added there was no specific information about further threats to the public.

British media reported that the car used in the attack — a gray Hyundai i40 — was rented in Birmingham. On Thursday, anti-terrorism forces swept into a residential building there, and the BBC reported four arrests were made in the city.

Queen Elizabeth II said she and her husband, Prince Philip, would not be able to officially open New Scotland Yard, the London police headquarters, as planned Thursday "for very understandable reasons."

"My thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by yesterday's awful violence," she said in a message to Craig Mackey, the acting commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

During the assault, a car mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, and Palmer was fatally stabbed after the vehicle crashed into the gates of Parliament and the attacker scaled a fence. Of the 40 people injured in the incident, 29 required hospitalization and seven were in critical condition.

May said 12 Britons were taken to hospitals. The other victims include three French teenagers, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one American, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian and two Greeks, she said.

Three police officers were injured as they returned from an event to recognize their bravery, May said, adding two were in serious condition.

Both houses of Parliament resumed normal operations Thursday. A minute's silence to honor the victims was held shortly after 9.30 a.m. local time. The crime scene and surrounding area remained cordoned off and police asked people to steer clear of the areas close to Parliament. A candlelit vigil will be held in Trafalgar Square later Thursday, the office of London's mayor announced.

"We are not afraid," May said in her address to Parliament. "Our resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism. And we meet here, in the oldest of all Parliaments, because we know that democracy — and the values it entails — will always prevail."</s>The terrorist who wreaked havoc in central London during a sickening attack which left three people dead has now been named by police.

Khalid Masood, 52, was killed by armed police after he stabbed an unarmed cop to death outside the Houses of Parliament yesterday.

Moments earlier Masood - thought to be a dad-of-three - drove a hire car into people on Westminster Bridge.

He killed a mum on the school run and an American tourist celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary.

Masood also left 29 people injured - some of which have been described as suffering "catastrophic" injuries.

Masood, 52, was born in Kent but most recently lived in the West Midlands. He had a number of previous convictions.

Police have spend the day searching a number of properties in the Winson Green area of Birmingham.

It is thought Masood hired a Hyundai 4x4 from a branch of Enterprise in Solihull which he drove to London and used to mow down innocent victims.

Masood has been described as a married father-of-three who enjoyed bodybuilding. Sky News also reports he was an English teacher.

Terror group ISIS earlier claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the attacker was "a soldier of Islamic State".

However, no firm evidence has yet emerged showing any links between Masood and ISIS.

Theresa May earlier said Masood was previously investigated by Britain’s security services for extremism.

She said it is believed that the terrorist acted alone and there was "no reason to believe" further attacks on the public were planned.

Mrs May told MPs: "His identity is known to the police and MI5 and when operational considerations allow, he will be publicly identified.

"What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism.

"He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture.

"There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot."

Police say Masood - who was known by a number of aliases - was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intentions to mount a terrorist attack.

Detectives say he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.

He has not been convicted for any terrorism offences.

The Amaq News Agency, seen as the terror group's official press service, report the attacker was "a soldier of Islamic State".

The Amaq statement said: "The perpetrator of the attacks yesterday in front of the British parliament in London is an Islamic State soldier and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the coalition."

Islamic State-inspired attacks have previously taken place in France and Germany where vehicles were driven into large crowds.

The terrorist responsible for yesterday's attack sped across Westminster Bridge in a car, ploughing into pedestrians along the way, then ran through the gates of the nearby parliament building and stabbed a police officer to death.

Police have arrested eight people at addresses across the UK following the terror attack.

Speaking this morning, Mark Rowley, the Met's senior anti-terror officer, said six addresses were raided overnight.

He spoke as MPs were returning to Parliament in a show of defiance.</s>LONDON — In a horrifying attack in London on Wednesday, a lone assailant plowed a car into crowds of people gathered on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer dead outside UK Parliament. The assault on the heart of Britain’s capital left four people dead.

On Thursday, police announced the fourth fatality and named the attacker as 52-year-old Khalid Masood. But there is still much we don’t know about the man who carried out the deadliest terror attack the UK has seen for more than a decade.

What we know
• Police named the attacker as 52-year-old Khalid Masood — known by a number of aliases.
• Masood, who was born in Kent, was most recently living in the West Midlands, according to police.
• He has never been convicted for any terrorism offenses, according to police.
• Known to police, Masood had a range of previous convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offenses.
• His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage; his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.
• Speaking before Masood was named, Prime Minister Theresa May said the attacker was known to authorities for links to “violent extremism.”
• He was investigated “some years ago” by security services, but was regarded as a “peripheral figure,” May said in the House of Commons.
• He was not part of the “current intelligence picture,” and authorities did not know he was about to mount an assault.
• The vehicle used in the terror attack was traced to a Birmingham car company.
• Britain’s most senior counter-terror police officer said investigations were ongoing in London, Birmingham and elsewhere on Thursday.
• The attacker is believed to have acted alone, according to Mark Rowley, the lead officer in the UK for counter-terrorism policing.
• The working theory is that the attack was ISIS “inspired or copycat,” a UK official told CNN.
• ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq has claimed responsibility for the attack, calling the attacker a ”soldier of Islamic State.”

What we don’t know
• Masood’s movements before the attack. Authorities have searched addresses in Birmingham and elsewhere, but the attacker’s whereabouts before Wednesday have not yet been confirmed.
• His motive. A UK official told CNN: “52 is interesting. Not the usual young pup profile” for an ideologically-driven attacker.
• Whether he acted alone. A number of arrests have been made in Birmingham connected with the attack, but it is not clear how those detained were associated with the attacker.
• The veracity of Amaq’s claim. Just because the ISIS-linked news agency asserted the attack was carried out by one of its “soldiers” does not necessarily mean the group had any direct connections to the attacker.</s>Revelations about the man who is believe to be responsible for the terrorist attack in Westminster are emerging.

The Westminster terror attacker has been named as Khalid Masood, 52. Scotland Yard said he was not the subject of any current investigations and there was "no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack".

However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

Masood was born in Kent and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands.

He was also known by a number of aliases, the Metropolitan Police said.

Other details that have emerged:
• None Police have said he is a lone wolf maniac who was inspired by “Islamic terrorism”
• None Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed in Parliament that he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism.
• None Despite this, she described him as "a peripheral figure"
• None He was not part of the current intelligence picture
• None There was no prior intelligence of his intent or the plot
• None He is believed to have been shot by a protection officer guarding Defence Secretary Michael Fallon
• None The Hyundai vehicle used by the attacker was rented from car hire firm Enterprise, reportedly its Solihull branch in Birmingham
• None Police have arrested eight people in raids on six different addresses in London and Birmingham in connection with the attack
• None ISIS claimed responsibility but security services believe he acted alone
• None The ISIS statement reported by the Nasir Channel said "a soldier of the Islamic State carried out the operation in response to appeals targeting nationals of coalition countries".

Theresa May told Parliament this morning: “What I can confirm is the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism.

She said he was a “peripheral” figure, adding: “The case is historic.

“He is not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or the plot.”

She said that as a precautionary measure, the number of armed police patrols across the country would be rolled out.

Mark Rowley, national lead for Counter Terrorism Policing and Met Acting Deputy Commissioner confirmed the sites raided included properties in London and a Birmingham flat close to where the car used in the attack was rented.

Mr Rowley said the attacker was “inspired by Islamic terrorism”.

He said: “It is still our belief - which continues to be born out by our investigation - that this attacker acted alone yesterday and was inspired by international terrorism.

“To be explicit - at this stage, we have no specific information about further threats to the public.

“Clearly our investigation is ongoing - developing all the time - and is focused on his motivation, his preparation and associates."

The Queen has also released a statement, saying: "My thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by yesterday's awful violence.

"I know I speak for everyone in expressing my enduring thanks and admiration for the members of the Metropolitan Police Service and all who work so selflessly to help and protect others."

The attacker drove his vehicle at speed into innocent pedestrians on Westminster Bridge at around 2.40pm, killing two people and injuring around 40 others.

The attacker then left the car and approached PC Palmer at Carriage Gates, attacking him with a large knife, before he was shot dead by an armed police officer.

The victims admitted to hospital included 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks.

The injured also included three police officers who were returning from an event to recognise their bravery, two of whom are in a "serious condition", she said.</s>The man police believe is responsible for Wednesday’s terrorist attack at London’s Westminster Bridge has been identified as U.K. native Khalid Masood.

Police said Masood, 52, was known to authorities and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offenses. His most recent conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, according to the Metropolitan Police Service in London.

Massod was born in Kent in southeast England and detectives believe he was most recently residing in the West Midlands in western-central England. He was also known by a number of aliases, according to police.

Masoon has not been convicted of any terrorism offenses, police noted.

Police said Masoon was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence regarding his intent to launch a terrorist attack.

Earlier today, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May addressed members of Parliament, speaking solemnly about the “act of terrorism that tried to silence our democracy.”

“But today we meet as normal — as generations have done before us, and as future generations will continue to do — to deliver a simple message: We are not afraid,” she said at Britain’s House of Commons. “And our resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism.”

May discussed what intelligence and security officials had so far gleaned about the attack, noting that the assailant was born in the United Kingdom and had been on the radar of security services.

 

 

 

 Three people, including a police officer, were killed and at least 29 others were injured in Wednesday’s attack, which authorities have declared a terrorist incident. A man believed to be the attacker was shot dead by police at the scene, according to the Metropolitan Police Service.

Police have said they believe the attack was “inspired by international terrorism” and they are looking at the suspect’s possible associates.

In a statement published today by its media outlet, Amaq News Agency, ISIS called the attacker “a soldier of the Islamic State” and said he “carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the international coalition.”

During a press conference this morning, Metropolitan Police acting deputy commissioner Mark Rowley said eight people were arrested in connection with Wednesday’s attack after overnight raids at six locations, including in Birmingham and London.

The attack began around 2:40 p.m. local time Wednesday, when a car struck pedestrians and three police officers on Westminster Bridge. The car then crashed into the fence around the Houses of Parliament, and a man armed with a knife attacked an officer who was standing guard. The suspect, who authorities believe acted alone, was then shot and killed by police, according to the Metropolitan Police Service.

In an initial news conference Wednesday night, Rowley said the suspect tried to enter Parliament but was stopped “very close to the gate.”

The officer who died, identified as 48-year-old Keith Palmer, was not armed. Palmer, a husband and father, had served for 15 years with the Metropolitan Police Service, Rowley added.

The attack, which occurred on the one-year anniversary of attacks in Brussels that killed 32 people and wounded hundreds, was reminiscent of vehicle attacks last year in both Berlin and Nice, France.

A spokesperson for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, an American car rental company headquartered in Missouri, confirmed to ABC News that the vehicle used in Wednesday’s attack in London was rented from one of its branches in Birmingham, England. The spokesperson refused to provide additional details about the individual who rented the car, when it was rented and how it was paid for.

“We can confirm that the car used in the tragic attack in London yesterday afternoon was one of ours. An employee identified the vehicle after seeing the license plate in an image online. We ran another check to verify, and immediately contacted the authorities,” the spokesperson in a statement today. “We are cooperating fully with the authorities and will provide any assistance that we can to the investigation.”

Eyewitnesses described to ABC News what they saw as the attack unfolded. One witness, Richard Tice, said he saw injured people lying on the pavement on Westminster Bridge. The car involved in the attack appeared to have jumped the curb, knocking people over, he added.

Bradford and Joanne Buck, a U.S. couple visiting London from Connecticut, witnessed the crash and saw police armed with machine guns run to the scene.

“Just couldn’t believe it was happening,” Joanne Buck said in an interview this morning on “Good Morning America.” “Just saw the machine guns and knew we had to take cover quickly.”

Despite heavy police presence, the couple said Londoners appeared to be doing well after the attack.

“The people are great; they’re going about their business. There’s a lot of police officers with machine guns walking around, which we hadn’t seen before this happened. But the mood of the people is great,” Bradford Buck told “GMA.”

He added, “We’re going to carry on with our vacation. We’re not going to let it stop us and hope to finish our sightseeing while we are here in London.”

ABC News’ Matt Foster, Benjamin Gittleson, Joshua Hoyos, Julia Jacobo, Rachel Katz, Lena Masri, Rym Momtaz, Kelley Robinson, Kirit Radia, Emily Shapiro, Joseph Simonetti, Devin Villacis and Marcus Wilford contributed to this report.</s>LONDON — The man who killed three people in a terror attack near Parliament was identified Thursday as Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old man with a lengthy rap sheet but no known prior terrorism convictions, police said.

"Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack," Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Masood was known to police and had a "range" of previous convictions for assault, possession of offensive weapons and other offenses, the statement said.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage; his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, police said.

Police say Masood was the man who plowed his car into a crowd on the iconic Westminster Bridge on Wednesday before fatally stabbed a police officer outside Parliament.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack through its Aamaq News Agency and called the assailant, who was shot dead by police, a "soldier of the Islamic State." The claim couldn't immediately be verified.

The fatalities included a Utah man on a trip with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, his family confirmed Thursday. Kurt Cochran's wife, Melissa, was hospitalized with serious injuries in the attack that killed three people and injured dozens Wednesday when a man

Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday that the attacker was British-born and known to security officers. She said the man had been investigated by MI5, the domestic security agency, "some years ago" regarding concerns about violent extremism.

"He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic — he was not part of the current intelligence picture," she said, adding there was "no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot."

May's comments came as British police made multiple arrests Thursday in connection with the attack. Eight people were detained in raids on various addresses in London and Birmingham, 125 miles northwest.

The prime minister said the best response to the attack was "millions of acts of normality."

Mark Rowley, the acting deputy commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, earlier revised down the number of dead to three. In addition to Kurt Cochran, the victims include Keith Palmer, 48, a police officer with 15 years of service, and Aysha Frade, a British mother and schoolteacher.

"Our investigation is ongoing — developing all the time — and is focused on (the attacker's) motivation, his preparation and associates," Rowley said. He added there was no specific information about further threats to the public.

British media reported that the car used in the attack — a gray Hyundai i40 — was rented in Birmingham. On Thursday, anti-terrorism forces swept into a residential building there, and the BBC reported four arrests were made in the city.

Queen Elizabeth II said she and her husband, Prince Philip, would not be able to officially open New Scotland Yard, the London police headquarters, as planned Thursday "for very understandable reasons."

"My thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by yesterday's awful violence," she said in a message to Craig Mackey, the acting commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

During the assault, a car mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, and Palmer was fatally stabbed after the vehicle crashed into the gates of Parliament and the attacker scaled a fence. Of the 40 people injured in the incident, 29 required hospitalization and seven were in critical condition.

May said 12 Britons were taken to hospitals. The other victims include three French teenagers, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one American, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian and two Greeks, she said.

Three police officers were injured as they returned from an event to recognize their bravery, May said, adding two were in serious condition.

Both houses of Parliament resumed normal operations Thursday. A minute's silence to honor the victims was held shortly after 9.30 a.m. local time. The crime scene and surrounding area remained cordoned off and police asked people to steer clear of the areas close to Parliament. A candlelit vigil will be held in Trafalgar Square later Thursday, the office of London's mayor announced.

"We are not afraid," May said in her address to Parliament. "Our resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism. And we meet here, in the oldest of all Parliaments, because we know that democracy — and the values it entails — will always prevail."</s>LONDON (AP) — The man who mowed down pedestrians on a London bridge and fatally stabbed a police officer on Parliament’s grounds was born in Britain and was known to intelligence services, the prime minister said Thursday.

Theresa May, who didn’t disclose the man’s name, said that he was once investigated for extremism links, but was considered a peripheral figure.

The revelation came moments after Parliament held a minute of silence and reconvened less than 24 hours after Wednesday’s brutal attack, which killed three victims and forced a lockdown of the British government’s seat of power.

May delivered a defiant message to the House of Commons, declaring simply: “We are not afraid.”

In a sweeping statement, she set an unyielding tone, promising answers as to why a British-born national drove an SUV into innocent pedestrians along Westminster Bridge before charging into a parliamentary courtyard and stabbing a police officer. Police shot and killed the attacker.

While she honored the police, she also saluted the everyday actions of millions who went about their lives in London as normal and describing it as proof that the attack failed to break the determination of Londoners and Britons.

“As I speak millions will be boarding trains and airplanes to travel to London, and to see for themselves the greatest city on Earth,” she told the House. “It is in these actions – millions of acts of normality – that we find the best response to terrorism —a response that denies our enemies their victory, that refuses to let them win, that shows we will never give in.”

Parliament began its moment of silence at 9:33 a.m. (5:33 a.m. EDT), honoring the slain police officer, 48-year-old Keith Palmer, a 15-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police and a former soldier. Parliament then returned to business, an act of defiance to those who had attacked British democracy.

“Those who carry out such wicked and depraved acts as we saw yesterday can never triumph in our country and we must ensure it is not violence, hatred or division but decency and tolerance that prevails in our country,” Trade Secretary Liam Fox said.

“Hear, hear!” lawmakers from all parties responded in unison.

Authorities know the identity of the man who went on the car and gun rampage at Parliament on Thursday, but police and the prime minister didn’t disclose his name.

Police believe that the man acted alone and there is no reason to believe “imminent further attacks” are planned, she said.

Mayor Sadiq Khan called for Londoners to attend a candlelit vigil at Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening in solidarity with the victims and their families and to show that the city remains united.

Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge and several surrounding streets remain cordoned off by police. Scores of unarmed officers in bright yellow jackets were staffing the perimeter tape, guiding confused civil servants trying to get to work. In Parliament’s New Palace Yard, a blue police tent was erected over the spot where the stabbing and shooting occurred, and two forensic officers worked at a trestle table nearby.

Metropolitan Police counterterrorism chief Mark Rowley revised the death toll from five to four, including the attacker, the police officer and two civilians. He said that 29 people required hospitalization and seven of them were in critical condition. He also said that authorities were still working out the number of “walking wounded.” Police had previously given the total number of injured as around 40.

One of those killed was Aysha Frade, a British national whose mother is Spanish, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said.

A doctor who treated the wounded from the bridge said some had “catastrophic” injuries. Three police officers returning from a ceremony to honor their bravery were among the injured.

May said people from 11 countries were among the victims. They included: 12 Britons, 3 French, 2 Romanians, 4 South Koreans, 1 German, 1 Pole, 1 Irish, 1 Chinese, 1 Italian, 1 American and two Greeks required hospital treatment. Police earlier said that seven of the 29 who are hospitalized are in critical condition.

The threat level for international terrorism in the U.K. was already listed at severe, meaning an attack was “highly likely.”

London has been a target for terrorism many times over past decades. Just this weekend, hundreds of armed police took part in an exercise simulating a “marauding” terrorist attack on the River Thames.

May said underscored that the attack targeted “free people everywhere,” and she said she had a response: “You will not defeat us.”

“Let this be the message from this House and this nation today: our values will prevail,” she said.</s>LONDON — The man who killed three people in a terror attack near Parliament was identified Thursday as Khalid Masood, a 52-year-old man with a lengthy rap sheet but no known prior terrorism convictions, police said.

"Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack," Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Masood was known to police and had a "range" of previous convictions for assault, possession of offensive weapons and other offenses, the statement said.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage; his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, police said.

Police say Masood was the man who plowed his car into a crowd on the iconic Westminster Bridge on Wednesday before fatally stabbed a police officer outside Parliament.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack through its Aamaq News Agency and called the assailant, who was shot dead by police, a "soldier of the Islamic State." The claim couldn't immediately be verified.

The fatalities included a Utah man on a trip with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, his family confirmed Thursday. Kurt Cochran's wife, Melissa, was hospitalized with serious injuries in the attack that killed three people and injured dozens Wednesday when a man

Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday that the attacker was British-born and known to security officers. She said the man had been investigated by MI5, the domestic security agency, "some years ago" regarding concerns about violent extremism.

"He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic — he was not part of the current intelligence picture," she said, adding there was "no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot."

May's comments came as British police made multiple arrests Thursday in connection with the attack. Eight people were detained in raids on various addresses in London and Birmingham, 125 miles northwest.

The prime minister said the best response to the attack was "millions of acts of normality."

Mark Rowley, the acting deputy commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, earlier revised down the number of dead to three. In addition to Kurt Cochran, the victims include Keith Palmer, 48, a police officer with 15 years of service, and Aysha Frade, a British mother and schoolteacher.

"Our investigation is ongoing — developing all the time — and is focused on (the attacker's) motivation, his preparation and associates," Rowley said. He added there was no specific information about further threats to the public.

British media reported that the car used in the attack — a gray Hyundai i40 — was rented in Birmingham. On Thursday, anti-terrorism forces swept into a residential building there, and the BBC reported four arrests were made in the city.

Queen Elizabeth II said she and her husband, Prince Philip, would not be able to officially open New Scotland Yard, the London police headquarters, as planned Thursday "for very understandable reasons."

"My thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by yesterday's awful violence," she said in a message to Craig Mackey, the acting commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

During the assault, a car mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, and Palmer was fatally stabbed after the vehicle crashed into the gates of Parliament and the attacker scaled a fence. Of the 40 people injured in the incident, 29 required hospitalization and seven were in critical condition.

May said 12 Britons were taken to hospitals. The other victims include three French teenagers, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one American, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian and two Greeks, she said.

Three police officers were injured as they returned from an event to recognize their bravery, May said, adding two were in serious condition.

Both houses of Parliament resumed normal operations Thursday. A minute's silence to honor the victims was held shortly after 9.30 a.m. local time. The crime scene and surrounding area remained cordoned off and police asked people to steer clear of the areas close to Parliament. A candlelit vigil will be held in Trafalgar Square later Thursday, the office of London's mayor announced.

"We are not afraid," May said in her address to Parliament. "Our resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism. And we meet here, in the oldest of all Parliaments, because we know that democracy — and the values it entails — will always prevail."</s>LONDON-- In a horrifying attack in London on Wednesday, a lone assailant plowed a car into crowds of people gathered on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer dead outside UK Parliament. The assault on the heart of Britain's capital left three people dead.

On Thursday, police named the attacker as 52-year-old Khalid Massod. But there is still much we don't know about the man who carried out the deadliest terror attack the UK has seen for more than a decade.

What we know
• Police named the attacker as 52-year-old Khalid Masood -- known by a number of aliases.
• Masood, who was born in Kent, was most recently living in the West Midlands, according to police.
• He has never been convicted for any terrorism offences, according to police.
• Known to police, Masood had a range of previous convictions for assaults, including grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offenses.
• His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage; his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.
• Speaking before Masood was named, Prime Minister Theresa May said the attacker was known to authorities for links to "violent extremism."
• He was investigated "some years ago" by security services, but was regarded as a "peripheral figure," May said in the House of Commons.
• He was not part of the "current intelligence picture," and authorities did not know he was about to mount an assault.
• The vehicle used in the terror attack was traced to a Birmingham car company.
• Britain's most senior counter-terror police officer said investigations were ongoing in London, Birmingham and elsewhere on Thursday.
• The attacker is believed to have acted alone, according to Mark Rowley, the lead officer in the UK for counter-terrorism policing.
• The working theory is that the attack was ISIS "inspired or copycat," a UK official told CNN.
• ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq has claimed responsibility for the attack, calling the attacker a ''soldier of Islamic State.''

What we don't know:

Masood's movements before the attack. Authorities have searched addresses in Birmingham and elsewhere, but the attacker's whereabouts before Wednesday have not yet been confirmed.
• Whether the attacker acted alone. A number of arrests have been made in Birmingham connected with the attack, but it is not clear how those detained were associated with the attacker.
• The veracity of Amaq's claim. Just because the ISIS-linked news agency asserted the attack was carried out by one of its "soldiers" does not necessarily mean the group had any direct connections to the attacker.

**More on the attack here**</s>The Westminster terror attacker has been named as Khalid Masood - and now authorities are trying to determine his background and connections.

Scotland Yard said the 52-year-old was not the subject of any current investigations and there was "no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack".

However, he was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

Masood was born in Kent and detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands.

He was also known by a number of aliases, the Metropolitan Police said.

Masood's first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.

He has not been convicted for any terrorism offences, the Met said.

ISIS have claimed responsibility for the terror attack in London.

The Amaq News Agency, seen as the terror group's official press service, report the attacker was "a soldier of Islamic State".

The terror group does not provide the name of the attacker who killed three people before he was shot dead by police.

The Amaq statement said: "The perpetrator of the attacks yesterday in front of the British parliament in London is an Islamic State soldier and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the coalition."

It comes after Theresa May said the terrorist was previously investigated by Britain’s security services for extremism.

The terrorist responsible for yesterday's attack sped across Westminster Bridge in a car, ploughing into pedestrians along the way, then ran through the gates of the nearby parliament building and stabbed a police officer to death.

The Prime Minister addressed MPs this morning and revealed more details about the unnamed attacker.

She said it was still believed that the terrorist acted alone and there was "no reason to believe" further attacks on the public were planned.

Mrs May added: "His identity is known to the police and MI5 and when operational considerations allow, he will be publicly identified.

"What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism.

"He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture.

"There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot."

Police have arrested eight people at addresses across the UK following yesterday's devastating terror attack.
London's Metropolitan Police Service announces that the attacker is British-born Khalid Masood, previously questioned by British authorities for connections to terrorism.