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A police officer and a knife-wielding attacker were killed in an attack outside parliament Wednesday, and at least two others were killed in a nearby incident, British police confirmed.
The police officer was stabbed to death in the Old Palace Yard, the courtyard directly outside parliament, by an assailant who was then shot dead by police, according to Commons Leader David Lidington.
In a near-simultaneous incident, a woman died and 20 other people were injured after a car plowed into pedestrians on nearby Westminster Bridge, police said.
Prime Minister Theresa May said following a high security meeting (COBRA) that the attacker carried out the "sick and depraved" act deliberately chose the parliament which stands for democracy, freedom and rule of law.
"These streets of Westminster – home to the world's oldest Parliament – are engrained with a spirit of freedom that echoes in some of the furthest corners of the globe," May said.
"And the values our Parliament represents – democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law – command the admiration and respect of free people everywhere," she added.
She said "that was why it is a target for those who reject those values and any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to fail".
Metropolitan police said they are treating the parliament attack as a terrorist incident until they find out otherwise.
- French students among wounded
Three pupils from the Saint-Joseph de Concarneau high school in Brittany were among those wounded in the bridge incident, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.
"Solidarity with our terribly struck British friends, full support for injured French students, their families and their comrades," French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Twitter.
"We express our full support to the British people. Terrorism concerns us all and France know how the British people are suffering today," said French President Francois Hollande.
- Lockdown
Metropolitan police said the incidents led to a number of casualties and asked the public to avoid areas of central London surrounding Parliament Square.
Parliament Square is under a complete security lockdown, with all roads into the square cordoned off by police.
St. Thomas Hospital said some people they are treating from the incidents have "catastrophic injuries".
Met Police Commander BJ Harrington earlier appealed for public information and urged the public to stay away from the Westminster area.
- International reaction
In addition to condemnations by Turkish and French officials, international reaction to the attack and expressions of solidarity began soon after the news broke.
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with May to offer his condolences, pledging "the full cooperation and support of the United States Government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice," the White House said.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson condemned the "horrific acts of violence" in a statement, adding: "The American people send their thoughts and prayers to the people of the United Kingdom".
"Deeply shocked by attacks on police & members of public in London," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Twitter.
"My thoughts are with injured & our solidarity goes out to the UK," she added.
"My thoughts are with the victims of the Westminster attack. Europe stands firm with the UK against terror and ready to help," said European Council President Donald Tusk.
Pedro Agramunt, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said in a statement, "I strongly deplore today's serious terrorist incident at Westminster, the home of British democracy, which comes exactly a year after the Brussels attacks".
He added, "My thoughts are with the families of the victims, the police and the men and women of the emergency services, who responded swiftly and resolutely.
"Whoever carried out this attack, they will fail in their aim of creating division or fear – democracy will never bend to terror."
*Hajer M'tiri and Michael Hernandez contributed to this story from Paris and Washington -
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