The Westminster Attack: A Day of Tragedy in London

On 22 March 2017, the heart of British democracy became the scene of a horrific terrorist attack. Outside the iconic Palace of Westminster in London, home to the UK Parliament, a day that began like any other descended into chaos and profound sadness. The assailant, 52-year-old British national Khalid Masood, initiated his deadly assault by deliberately driving a car into unsuspecting pedestrians along the pavement on the south side of Westminster Bridge and Bridge Street. This shocking act injured more than 50 people, with four innocent lives tragically lost.

The Unfolding Horror and Aftermath

Following the initial vehicle rampage, Masood crashed his car into the perimeter fence of the palace grounds. He then abandoned the vehicle and, armed with a knife, ran into New Palace Yard where he confronted and fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer, Constable Keith Palmer, who was on duty guarding Parliament. The swift and courageous response of armed police officers brought the attack to an immediate end; Masood was shot and died at the scene. This swift action prevented further loss of life within the parliamentary estate.

Investigation and Declared Motives

In the aftermath, police promptly launched an extensive investigation, officially treating the incident as "Islamist-related terrorism." Khalid Masood’s personal motivations came under intense scrutiny. It emerged that in a final text message, Masood had declared he was waging jihad, explicitly stating his actions were in revenge for Western military operations in Muslim countries across the Middle East. Subsequently, Amaq News Agency, a media outlet with known links to the Islamic State group (ISIS), issued a statement claiming that the attacker was a "soldier of Islamic State" who had responded to the group’s calls to target citizens of states engaged in fighting against it. However, this claim of direct organisational affiliation was met with considerable doubt and was questioned by both the UK police and government. Ultimately, investigators found no concrete links between Masood and any established terrorist organisation, leading to the conclusion that he had acted alone in planning and executing the attack.