THE MAN shot and killed by police during a knife attack near London Bridge has been named by the authorities as convicted terrorist Usman Khan.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu confirmed in a statement that the 28-year-old had been released from prison on licence prior to the attack that left a man and a woman dead along with three others injured.
He had served seven years of an of a 16-year prison sentence.
Mr Basu said: “We are now in a position to confirm the identity of the suspect as 28-year-old Usman Khan, who had been residing in the Staffordshire area. As a result, officers are, tonight, carrying out searches at an address in Staffordshire.
“This individual was known to authorities, having been convicted in 2012 for terrorism offences. He was released from prison in December 2018 on licence and clearly a key line of enquiry now is to establish how he came to carry out this attack.”
According to a report from The Times, Khan was released from prison in 2018 after agreeing to wear an electronic tag to monitor his movements.
The Parole Board has issued a statement saying it had no involvement in Khan's release, adding that he "appears to have been released automatically on licence (as required by law)".
Khan is thought to have operated alone.
"Whilst we are still in the early stages of the investigation, at this time we are not actively seeking anyone else in relation to the attack," Mr Bisu added.
"However, we continue to make fast time enquiries to ensure that no other people were involved in this attack and that there is no outstanding threat to the public."
The incident began at Fishmongers' Hall, at the north end of London Bridge, at around 13:58 GMT on Friday, November 29.
Khan was in attendance for a conference on prisoner rehabilitation organised by University of Cambridge-associated Learning Together when he “threatened to blow up” the building wearing what was later discovered to be a fake suicide vest.
The attack is believed to have started inside the building before moving to London Bridge where Khan was shot and killed.
None of those killed or injured in the knife attack have yet been named.
Khan was previously imprisoned in 2012 for his role in an al Qaida-inspired terrorist plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange and plans to build a terrorist training camp in Kashmir.
The Stoke-on-Trent male and two other co-conspirators were originally handed indeterminate sentences for public protection, but these were quashed on appeal in April 2013, with Khan given a 16-year jail term instead.
