Parsons Green Bombing
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On 15 September 2017, at around 08:20 BST (07:20
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...
), an explosion occurred on a
District line The District line is a London Underground line running from in the east and Edgware Road tube station (Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines), Edgware Road in the west to in west London, where it splits into multiple branches. One br ...
train at Parsons Green Underground station, in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England. Thirty people were treated in hospital or an urgent care centre, mostly for burn injuries, by a botched, crude "bucket bomb" with a timer containing the explosive chemical TATP. Police arrested the main suspect, 18-year-old Iraqi
asylum seeker An asylum seeker is a person who leaves their country of residence, enters another country, and makes in that other country a formal application for the right of asylum according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 14. A per ...
Ahmed Hassan, in a departure area of the
Port of Dover The Port of Dover is a cross-channel ferry, cruise terminal, maritime cargo and marina facility situated in Dover, Kent, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just away, and is one of the world's busiest maritime pas ...
the next day, and subsequently raided several addresses, including the foster home of an elderly couple in
Sunbury-on-Thames Sunbury-on-Thames, known locally as Sunbury, is a town on the north bank of the River Thames in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England, southwest of central London. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, in 1965 Sunbury and other su ...
where Hassan lived following his arrival in the United Kingdom two years earlier claiming to be an
asylum seeker An asylum seeker is a person who leaves their country of residence, enters another country, and makes in that other country a formal application for the right of asylum according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 14. A per ...
. The incident was classified by
Europol Europol, officially the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, is the law enforcement agency of the European Union (EU). Established in 1998, it is based in The Hague, Netherlands, and serves as the central hub for coordinating c ...
as a case of
jihadist terrorism Islamic terrorism (also known as Islamist terrorism, radical Islamic terrorism, or jihadist terrorism) refers to Terrorism, terrorist acts carried out by Islamic fundamentalism, fundamentalist militant Islamism, Islamists and Islamic extre ...
.


Background

Four other attacks occurred in England in the months preceding the bombing: the Westminster attack, the
Manchester Arena bombing The Manchester Arena bombing, or Manchester Arena attack, was an Islamic terrorism in Europe, Islamic terrorist suicide bombing of Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, on 22 May 2017, following Dangerous Woman Tour, a concert by the Americ ...
, the London Bridge attack and the Finsbury Park attack. According to the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani, along with the Parsons Green train bombing and police having foiled at least seven 'significant plots', this makes it "the most sustained period of terror activity in England since the IRA bombing campaign of the 1970s."


Incident

A homemade bomb partially exploded on an eastbound District line train at Parsons Green Underground station, in West London. The District line train was packed with commuters and school children. Witnesses described seeing a fireball in the rear carriage of the packed rush-hour train. Numerous passengers were reported to have suffered flash burns. Others received crush injuries in the rush to leave the scene. Thirty people received medical treatment for their injuries, 19 of whom were taken to hospital by ambulance and the remainder self-presenting at hospital. The device had been left in a white plastic bucket inside a shopping bag. Wires were hanging out, as well as a black towel. Reports also indicate the device was packed with knives and screws. According to Ben Wallace, the security minister, the bomb contained the triacetone triperoxide explosive (TATP), the same explosive used in the 2005 London Underground bombings and the
November 2015 Paris attacks A series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 21:16, three suicide bombers struck outside the Stade de France in Saint-De ...
. The explosive is known to be very unstable, which may have led to critical errors in the construction of the bomb, such that it only partially exploded. According to Chip Chapman, former head of
Counterterrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and Intelligence agency, intelligence ...
at the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
, "This absolutely didn't function properly because… of TATP is enough to blow car doors off".


Claim of responsibility

According to the
Amaq News Agency Amaq News Agency () is a news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS). Amaq is often the "first point of publication for claims of responsibility" for terrorist attacks in Western countries by the Islamic State. In March 2019, Amaq News Agency w ...
, an affiliated unit of the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...
carried out the attack. The Metropolitan Police described the claim as "very routine in these sort of circumstances... whether or not they have had any previous engagement with the individuals involved". On 17 September,
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
Amber Rudd Amber Augusta Rudd (born 1 August 1963) is a British former politician who served as Home Secretary from 2016 to 2018 and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2018 to 2019. She was a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Pa ...
said there was no evidence to suggest that ISIL was behind the attack, and added that they would find out how the attacker was radicalised if they could.


Investigation and trial

The Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command led the investigation into the attack. According to the Metropolitan Police, “hundreds of detectives” were involved in the investigation. Investigators reportedly linked the attack to
Islamic extremism Islamic extremism refers to extremist beliefs, behaviors and ideologies adhered to by some Muslims within Islam. The term 'Islamic extremism' is contentious, encompassing a spectrum of definitions, ranging from academic interpretations of Is ...
and considered feasible a network of individuals involved in such plans. The Metropolitan Police launched a manhunt for one, possibly two, suspects. On 16 September, Kent Police Special Branch arrested Ahmed Hassan at the
Port of Dover The Port of Dover is a cross-channel ferry, cruise terminal, maritime cargo and marina facility situated in Dover, Kent, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just away, and is one of the world's busiest maritime pas ...
on suspicion of a terror offence. The port area was partially evacuated and a number of items recovered by the police. Later that day, police raided, and searched a house in Sunbury, Surrey. Hassan was not named initially, but was identified by media reports as an 18-year-old Iraqi orphan refugee who had been referred to a governmental anti-extremist programme. Seven men were arrested in total during the investigations. Later on 16 September, a man was arrested in
Hounslow Hounslow ( ) is a large suburban district of West London, England, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 14 metropolitan cen ...
, west London, A third man, a 25-year-old, was arrested in Newport, south Wales, on 19 September and an address in Newport was searched. The seventh and final arrest took place on 25 September in Cardiff. On 21 September the second arrestee was released without charge. On 22 September, Hassan was charged with attempted murder and causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury. He appeared in court the following day and was remanded in custody, to appear at the
Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...
on 13 October. The other six arrestees were released without charge. Ahmed Hassan pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial took place on 5–16 March 2018 at the Old Bailey. The
Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal adv ...
(CPS) indicated that Hassan had not conveyed his motive for the attack and that, perhaps due to his destruction of electronic devices, there was no evidence of ISIS being an inspiration. On 16 March, he was found guilty by a unanimous jury. On 23 March, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 34 years; he will be eligible for parole on 23 March 2052. The sentence reflected the court's belief that Hassan had lied about his age and was in fact older. It has been claimed, in an article by Lizzie Dearden of ''The Independent'', that the police missed or misinterpreted evidence indicating Hassan was inspired by ISIS.


The bomber

Ahmed Hassan arrived illegally in the UK in October 2015 claiming to be under 18, at a time when the UK government had shortly before instituted more generous rules on accepting asylum applications from unaccompanied minors. At a January 2016 immigration interview, Hassan told officials he had been in contact with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and been compelled by ISIL to undergo training to kill with about 1,000 other young people and he had feared members of his family would be killed if he had attempted to resist. Hassan also stated during the interview that he blamed the United Kingdom for his father having died in Iraq. While his asylum application was being processed, he was placed in
foster care Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state- certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family mem ...
with a highly experienced elderly foster couple who were given no hint of his extremist links.


Reactions


Domestic

In a statement after the incident, the
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
,
Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead (; ; born 1 October 1956), is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served as Home Secretar ...
, said: "My thoughts are with those injured at Parsons Green and the emergency services who, once again, are responding swiftly and bravely to a suspected terrorist incident".
Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...
Sadiq Khan Sir Sadiq Aman Khan (, ; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting (UK Parliament constituency), Tooting ...
said: "As London has proven again and again, we will never be intimidated or defeated by terrorism. I am in close contact with the Metropolitan Police,
Transport for London Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom. TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...
(TfL), Government and other emergency services who are responding at the scene and leading the investigation. I will be attending the emergency
COBRA COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...
meeting in Whitehall this afternoon with the Prime Minister. My sincere gratitude goes to all our courageous emergency responders and the TfL staff who were first on the scene. I urge all Londoners to remain calm and vigilant". Khan also said: "I am not going to apologise for saying we need more resources and more police in London". Subsequent to the attack, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre decided to raise the terror threat level from 'Severe' to 'Critical', for only the fourth time since its 2006 introduction.
Operation Temperer Operation Temperer is a British government plan to deploy troops to support and free up police officers in key locations following a major terrorist attack or major public disorder. It was put into effect for the first time on 22 May 2017 followi ...
was also activated for the second time, as a result of the raise in threat level. The terror threat level was then returned to 'Severe' by JTAC on 17 September 2017. Citing the Parsons Green train bombing, police advised the public not to record terrorist events, but instead to "run, hide, tell".


International

US President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed For ...
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
tweeted: "Another attack in London by a loser terrorist. These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!" He also touted his proposed travel ban. His comments were described by Theresa May, who characterised the tweets as inaccurate speculation, as "not helpful."


Craig Palmer bravery award

On 6 April 2019 it was announced that Lt. Col. Craig Palmer, a passenger on the affected tube train, had been awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for his part in helping to bring the bomber to trial and conviction. Despite great risk to himself, the Artillery officer, who was two carriages away as the train entered Parsons Green station, went towards the scene of the bomb and recognised it for what it was. He took pictures that were able to be used in evidence at the subsequent trial of the bomber.


See also

*
7 July 2005 London bombings The 7 July 2005 London bombings, also referred to as 7/7, were a series of four co-ordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamist terrorists that targeted commuters travelling on Transport in London, London's public transport during the ...
*
21 July 2005 London bombings On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks by four Islamism, Islamist extremists disrupted part of London's public transport system as a follow-up attack to the 7 July 2005 London bombings two weeks earlier. The explosions occurred around mid ...
* Cannon Street train bombing * Bombings of Paddington and Victoria stations * Green Park tube station bombing * Bombings of King's Cross and Euston stations * West Ham station attack


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parsons Green train bombing 2017 in rail transport Attacks on buildings and structures in England Attacks on railway stations in Europe Improvised explosive device bombings in 2017 Filmed improvised explosive device bombings Improvised explosive device bombings in London Islamic terrorism in London Islamic terrorist incidents in 2017 September 2017 crimes in Europe September 2017 in the United Kingdom Terrorist incidents in London in 2017 Terrorist incidents on railway systems in the United Kingdom Terrorist incidents on subterranean rapid transit Train bombings in Europe