UK police say taxi blast in Liverpool a terrorist incident
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LIVERPOOL (England) • An explosive device that blew up a taxi in the English city of Liverpool on Sunday had been carried on board by a passenger and the blast is being treated as a terrorist incident, police said yesterday.
Police said they believed they knew the identity of the passenger, who was killed in the explosion, but could not disclose it.
"Although the motivation for this incident is yet to be understood, given all the circumstances, it has been declared a terrorist incident and counter-terrorism policing are continuing with the investigation," said Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson of Counter-Terrorism Policing Northwest.
The taxi exploded outside Liverpool Women's Hospital, killing the passenger and injuring the driver who received medical treatment and has since been released.
"Remarkably, the taxi driver escaped from the cab," Mr Jackson said.
Three men aged 29, 26 and 21 were arrested on Sunday, and police said yesterday that another man, aged 20, had been arrested.
Their names were not released.
Mr Jackson told reporters that the taxi driver had picked up the passenger, who had asked to be driven to the hospital.
He said it was unclear why the man wanted to go to the hospital or what had caused the sudden explosion of the device.
The blast took place a minute before the start of a Remembrance Day service to commemorate war dead at the nearby Liverpool Cathedral.
"We are of course aware that there were Remembrance events just a short distance away from the hospital and that the ignition occurred shortly before 11am," Mr Jackson said. "We cannot at this time draw any connection with this but it is a line of inquiry that we are pursuing."
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of the Merseyside Police said on Sunday night that there would be "an increased and visible police presence on the streets of Merseyside".
"It is also important that, at this very early stage, people do not speculate about what has happened," she added.
The authorities said access to the Liverpool Women's Hospital would be restricted until further notice.
Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel said on Twitter that she was receiving regular updates "on the awful incident at Liverpool Women's Hospital".
Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson said "the incident at the Liverpool Women's Hospital is unsettling and upsetting, and my thoughts are with those affected".
REUTERS, NYTIMES
