by Xinhua writer Gu Zhenqiu
LONDON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Tuesday's apparent terror attack in central London -- once again, a driver has ploughed into a crowd, turning a vehicle into a lethal weapon -- served as a further reminder of a deadly trend: the use of a vehicle to inflict harm on members of the public.
The attack, which took place during the morning rush hour at the entrance to the British House of Parliament in central London, revealed a sad reality: Britain, like many other countries in the world, is still facing a tough job in fighting terrorism.
The 29-year-old man, a British citizen who is believed to be of Sudanese origin, reportedly drove his car to travel through the Monday night from Birmingham to stake out Westminster for more than 90 minutes before mowing down cyclists and pedestrians and slamming into security barriers outside the British House of Parliament. He was held on suspicion of terror offences on Tuesday.
At least three people were injured in the attack, which took place near a site where a terrorist attack took place in March 2017 as Khalid Masood drove a car into crowds on Westminster Bridge, killing four people.
British people were shocked to find that terror returns to Westminster. The scenes had echoes of the Westminster Bridge attack, which prompted an extension of the steel and concrete security barriers around parliament buildings.
The suspect is being questioned in south London, and the whole story behind this incident remains unknown at this moment. However, it is a deliberate attack in one of the most popular tourist attractions in downtown London.
It is a disturbing fact that the increasing use of vehicles as a weapon in terrorist attacks, a serous threat to the public on the streets outside high-profile locations.
Similar attacks occurred in Paris, New York and other cities over the past years.
The terrorist attacks, while murderous, have been low-tech, involving vehicles or kitchen knives, rather than bombs and guns, but they also cause casualties.
It is sad that devising security measures to prevent the deliberate vehicle-ramming attack like the Tuesday crash is difficult when all that is needed is a car or a kitchen knife to launch an attack.
It is essential to maintain good intelligence on the side of the government. Meanwhile, it is also important to raise public awareness to report suspected activities.
Security precautions had already been tightened following the deadly attack in London last year, but it is not the time yet to relax vigilance as the United Kingdom is still facing a difficult job of fight terrorism.
Within hours after the Tuesday attack, British Prime Minister Theresa May said that "the threat to the UK from terrorism remains severe. I would urge the public to remain vigilant."
The trend in vehicular attacks by terrorists appears to be fueled by exhortation and example, according to some analysts. To counter terrorism, a common challenge, much more needs to be done.
