London Bridge, Borough Market Attacks Leave 7 Dead

LONDON, ENGLAND — Police have made 12 arrests after seven people were killed in what police said were two acts of terror in London Saturday night. Three men believed to be attackers were shot dead by police, British officials said.

“We are reviewing and planning to strengthen our policing stance across London over the forthcoming days, and there will be additional police and officers deployed across the capital," Assistant Commissioner of Metropolitan Police Mark Rowley said in a statement.

Watch: More Detained In London Bridge Attack Investigation

In addition, law enforcement agencies in the U.S. were taking precautions.

"While there are no specific/credible threats to NYC, our Critical Response Command is deployed at heavily travelled pedestrian locations," NYPD Counterterrorism Chief James R. Waters said in a statement after the attacks in England.

At 10:08 p.m. London time (5:08 p.m. EST), Metropolitan Police said officers responded to a report of a vehicle that had crashed into pedestrians on the London Bridge, which crosses the River Thames.

A van had plowed into several people, then continued on to the Borough Market, where police said the suspects got out of the vehicle and stabbings ensued.

Authorities reported "a number of people were stabbed," including a British Transport Police officer who was responding to the incident on London Bridge. He had serious injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

Seven people died, in addition to the three suspects who were killed, officials said; an additional 48 people were hospitalized, some of whom are believed to be suffering serious and life-threatening injuries.

The U.S. Embassy in London asked citizens to notify their loved ones of their status, issuing an emergency message urging the public to avoid London Bridge and the Borough Market.

By 10:16 p.m. — eight minutes after authorities received the first call — police said the suspects were shot.

London Bridge and Borough Market were closed for the investigation. The Marine Policing Unit reported Saturday night that it was evacuating people with life boats from the bridge.

The bridge crash was the first of three major incidents authorities responded to Saturday night in London.

At the Borough Market, there were reports of stabbings, and police confirmed that shots had been fired.

In a third incident — which police later said was not an act of terrorism — authorities were dispatched to Vaux Hall, a residential and commercial district in London, where a stabbing had occurred.

Metropolitan Police advised citizens to run to safety, hide if necessary and silence cell phones and call for help when appropriate.

The incidents come during a time of heightened awareness in England, where 22 people were killed in the Manchester bombing at an Ariana Grande concert less than two weeks ago, on May 22.

• Manchester Bombing Suspect Identified as Death Toll Climbs to 22

President Donald Trump said: "We are with you," in a tweet Saturday evening directed toward London and the U.K. Less than 10 minutes before, he had tweeted: "...We need the travel ban as an extra level of safety!"

Pictured, counter-terrorism special forces are seen at London Bridge on June 3, 2017, in London, England. Police have responded to reports of a van hitting pedestrians on London Bridge in central London. Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.