21 July 2005 London bombings
Encyclopedia
On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks disrupted part of London's public transport
system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings
. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush
, Warren Street
and Oval
stations on London Underground
, and on a bus in Shoreditch
. A fifth bomber dumped his device without attempting to set it off.
Connecting lines and stations were closed and evacuated. Metropolitan Police
later said the intention was to cause large-scale loss of life, but only the detonator
s of the bombs exploded, probably causing the popping sounds reported by witnesses, and only one minor injury was reported. The suspects fled the scenes after their bombs failed to explode.
On Friday 22 July, CCTV
images of four suspects wanted in connection with the bombings were released. Two of the men shown in these images were identified by police on Monday 25 July as Muktar Said Ibrahim
and Yasin Hassan Omar
. A manhunt, described by the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair
as "the largest ever investigation that the Met has ever mounted" was started.
By 29 July, police had arrested all four of the main bombing suspects from 21 July attempted bombings. Yasin Hassan Omar was arrested by police on 27 July, in Birmingham
. On 29 July, two more suspects were arrested in London. A fourth suspect, Osman Hussein, was arrested in Rome, Italy and later extradited to the UK. Police also arrested numerous other people in the course of their investigations.
On 9 July 2007, four defendants, Muktar Ibrahim, 29, Yassin Omar, 26, Ramzi Mohammed, 25, and Hussain Osman, 28, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder. The four attempted bombers were each sentenced to a minimum of 40 years' imprisonment.
In each case, only the detonator caps fired and the bombs themselves did not go off. This fortuitous "dudding" of four simultaneous attempted bombings may have been due to the low quality hydrogen peroxide used in the devices, which had been obtained from a large number of readily available sources. The explosions were small—only about as powerful as a large firework — and no injuries were reported, although a person who suffered an asthma attack was counted as the incident's sole casualty.
In response to the blasts, the stations were all evacuated and a number of other stations including Archway
in North London, Moorgate, St. Paul's
in the City
and Green Park
in the West End
were also cleared. Many parts of the London Underground system including the Victoria Line, Northern Line, Hammersmith and City Line, Bakerloo Line
and Piccadilly Line
were suspended.
Some eyewitnesses reported a "strange smell", described by some as resembling burning rubber
, emanating from the Underground stations. Some early reports seem to be suggesting that the smell preceded the bang by several minutes. It appears that people on a train smelt a strange odour, and realised something was wrong. They ran from one carriage to another while the train was still moving and then heard an explosion behind them.
Eyewitnesses at the scenes reported seeing men running away from the site of the explosions, and there were unconfirmed suggestions that one of the bombers had been injured. According to the RMT union
, which represents Underground staff, the suspect used a handgun
in a failed attempt to detonate explosives contained in a backpack.
The vehicle involved was Stagecoach London
Dennis Trident 2
(17762, LX03 BUU), identical in type to the bus destroyed on 7/7, and based at the same depot; Stratford (SD).
A number of theories has been advanced for the presence of the unusual smells. They could possibly have resulted from the burning or smouldering (but not detonation) of the bombs' explosives, or they could have been the natural smell of the explosive. The homemade explosive thought to have been used in the 7 July
bombings, TATP
, is notoriously unstable and emits a distinctive smell as it sublimates
.
It was reported that one of the 7 July suspects, Jamal (Germaine) Lindsay, had bought £900 worth of perfumes immediately before the bombings, possibly to disguise the acrid smell of the decomposing explosives. Some witnesses reported seeing a white powder: TATP is a white crystalline powder. An eyewitnesses mentioned that as one of the explosions occurred there was a "smell of vinegar" which could be attributed to combustion byproducts of the explosive TATP.
, near Warren Street, was cordoned off at 14:30 BST, reportedly by armed police. Eyewitnesses reported seeing three armed police officers entering the building.
Both CNN
and The Times
reported that the armed police at University College Hospital were pursuing a suspected bomber who fled into the building following a chase on foot down Tottenham Court Road
. Witnesses reported shots being fired as the man led police on the chase from Warren Street tube station
. Police say the "gunshots" may have actually been detonators going off.
An internal memo at the hospital told employees to look for a tall man with wires protruding from his clothing. The memo reportedly described the suspect as "a black male, possibly of Asian origin, about 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) tall, wearing a blue top with wires protruding from the rear of the top." The BBC spoke to Prof Jim Ryan of UCH, who said he had not seen any such memo and dismissed the idea as "absolute rumour." A BBC reporter, however, said that he had been given a copy of an email sent to staff asking them to look for the suspect.
Later in the afternoon police said they had ended their armed operation at the hospital, but returned 30 minutes later. A Scotland Yard
spokesman told the BBC: "We've got our armed deployment at UCH but we can't discuss it further.". There were conflicting reports on whether the redeployment was related to the bombings. CNN reported that sources told them police had returned to conduct a manhunt inside the building, but police said the deployment was unrelated to the explosions.
outside the Ministry of Defence
during which a man was arrested by armed police. The man was ordered to lie on the pavement before being handcuffed and arrested, about 20 metres from Downing Street
. He was also ordered to open his jacket and shirt before being taken by the police, presumably to allow police to see any hidden explosives that may have been on his person. He did not appear to be carrying any bags, and did not seem to be wearing a belt, although it was very hard for the reporter to see. The BBC reported (and television coverage showed) that he was wearing a small black backpack which the police had him remove before undoing his shirt.
Two other people were also arrested: one in the Whitehall area, and one near Tottenham Court Road
, according to the BBC
. But all were later released without any charges being brought against them.
According to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair
, the two arrests in Whitehall were "totally unconnected" to the earlier explosions.
. A number 37 bus (Putney
to Peckham
) was also cordoned off after a suspect package was discovered. These incidents are both believed to be bomb scares.
, at Stockwell tube station
shortly after 10:00 on 22 July. Officers had pursued de Menezes from a location under surveillance, believing him to be one of the men wanted for the attacks of the previous day. They apparently believed de Menezes, who was claimed to be wearing a heavy jacket – later shown to be an ordinary denim jacket – was a possible suicide bomber.
Police later confirmed he was not related to the bombing incidents and issued an apology, saying that "For somebody to lose their life in such circumstances is a tragedy and one that the Metropolitan Police Service regrets."
Services on the Victoria Line
between Victoria and Brixton and on the Northern Line
between Kennington and Morden were suspended at the request of the police.
and BBC News
reported that the East London Mosque
on Whitechapel Road in Whitechapel
had been surrounded by armed police and that residents were told to stay indoors. The mosque was evacuated at about 10:30 and searched. However, police confirmed that it was a bomb scare and the all-clear was given after just over an hour.
Security alerts continued into the weekend, with major disruption to London's transport system.
, just north of White City
and Shepherd's Bush
. It was subjected to a controlled explosion and appears to have been a further bomb made to the same design as the others used on 21 July. This led to speculation that a fifth bomber might be at large. Scotland Yard stated that they were looking for more than just the four men caught on CCTV, and by 29 July five suspected bombers had been arrested.
Like other devices used on 21 July, the device was packed into a six-and-a-quarter litre clear plastic food container with a white lid, manufactured by Delta of India, sold in about 100 outlets across the UK. The police made an appeal to retailers who may have sold five or more in the time period.
powder mixed with liquid hydrogen peroxide
, detonated by a booster charge. This was the same explosive mixture used by the bombers in the 7/7 bombings two weeks earlier. It was later confirmed that substantial improvised explosive device
s capable of causing significant numbers of casualties had in fact been involved, but had failed to explode. The explosions were caused by detonator
s which failed to detonate the main explosive charge. Police later disclosed that some of the devices used had survived the explosions and were available for forensic investigation.
in such a way that they could be reasonably said to have occurred "in the north, south, east, and west," recalling the wording of several Islamist manifestos.
Not all the tube stations targeted on 21 July were below ground. Shepherd's Bush (Hammersmith & City
) station (since renamed Shepherd's Bush Market, and now also served by Circle Line trains) is above ground, can receive mobile signals, and is within sight and earshot of the BBC Television Centre
.
It has been widely speculated that the 21 July bombings were the work of members of the same violent Islamist
cell that carried out the 7 July bombings. Given that they were remarkably unsuccessful, however, some think that they are more probably explained as copycat attacks
.
The reason for the apparent failure of the bombs is as yet unknown, but it has been suggested that they may have been assembled from the stockpile of explosives discovered in Leeds following the 7 July attacks. Many types of explosive material (particularly home-made varieties) are chemically unstable, and it is possible that the explosives used on 21 July had deteriorated to a point where they were incapable of exploding.
It was later reported that three of the four devices were of similar size and weight to those used on 7 July, with the fourth being housed in a smaller plastic box; all were said to have used the same type of explosive.
's lieutenants who was killed in a 2001 airstrike in Afghanistan
, posted a statement claiming responsibility for the attempted bombings. The group vowed that the terror would continue as long as Europe's soldiers were in Iraq
. The group also claimed responsibility for the 7 July 2005 London bombings
, the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
, and the 2003 North America blackout. Experts doubt the legitimacy of the group, as security experts have discredited the claims of the Madrid attack, and investigators have ruled out sabotage as a cause of the blackout. In its statement, the group cited Rome, Amsterdam
and Copenhagen
as future targets. However, the group has made threats in the past that it has failed to carry out. The group has also previously falsely claimed responsibility for events that were the result of technical problems, such as the 2003 London blackout
and Northeast Blackout of 2003
.
who was soon released without charge. The former may be among the individuals seen running away from the scenes of the incidents who were caught on CCTV
footage. Police released images of people they wished to question with regards to the attempted bombings captured from London transport CCTV cameras.
On 25 July, two of the suspects were named by police as Yasin Hassan Omar
and Muktar Said Ibrahim
(also known as Muktar Mohammed Said). Yasin Hassan Omar is suspected of trying to detonate the device at Warren Street tube station and Muktar Said Ibrahim is suspected of trying to detonate the device on the bus. The Home Office
has stated that both men have legally been resident for at least ten years. Muktar Said Ibrahim had apparently been receiving housing benefit.
On Wednesday 27 July, police arrested Omar in Birmingham. A suspect package was found in the course of his arrest. Three further arrests were also made in Birmingham. This raid was raised because the caretaker of the area found around 10 large bottles of hair dye, which can be used in explosives, and he was suspicious so called a low level police contact.
Major police raids occurred in west London on 29 July. It has been reported that a further two of the pictured suspects, Muktar Said Ibrahim and Ramzi Mohammed
, were arrested in the course of these raids, while the Shepherd's Bush suspect - Osman Hussain
- was arrested in Rome that day. The men arrested in London were apparently the suspects wanted in connection with the Oval tube and bus bombing attempts, and the man arrested in Rome is the Shepherd's Bush suspect. A European Arrest Warrant
for Osman Hussain
was issued by the Metropolitan Police, and he was extradited to the UK where he was charged on 8 December 2005. In addition the suspected fifth bomber Whabi Mohammad
, 22, the brother of Ramzi Mohammad, was also under arrest by 28 July.
, Muktar Said Ibrahim
, and Ramzi Mohammed
were charged with attempting to murder passengers and being in possession of an explosive substance. Along with a fourth man, Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, they were also charged with conspiring to murder passengers.
See the article on Osman Hussain
for the charges laid against him on 8 December 2005 and other information.
On 26 February 2008, a Tanzanian-born Muslim man who dubbed himself "Osama bin London" was found guilty of encouraging his followers to murder non-believers and of running violent Islamist training camps in Britain. Mohammed Hamid, 50, who came to England when he was five, was convicted along with three followers - Kibley da Costa, 25, Mohammed al-Figari, 45, and Kader Ahmed, 20 - whom the jury found guilty of attending the training camps. A fifth suspect, Atilla Ahmet, 43, who once boasted of being Al Qaeda's top figure in Europe, admitted three charges of soliciting murder at the start of the complex four-month trial at Woolwich Crown Court. The trial was closely watched in Britain as Hamid was accused of providing the inspiration for the men who tried to carry out botched suicide bombings on London's transport system on 21 July 2005.
on 15 January 2007. The case was anticipated to last for 'up to four months,' but in fact the jury only retired to consider the verdict on 28 June, 5½ months later.
On 9 July 2007 the jury found Muktar Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed, and Hussain Osman guilty of conspiracy to murder.
In November 2007, Manfo Kwaku Asiedu admitted conspiracy to cause explosions while a charge of conspiracy to murder was dropped. Adel Yahya pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
in West London
(approximately a mile from Paddington railway station). The road was cordoned off by armed police and some eyewitnesses reported seeing a bomb-disabling robot.
On 25 July police announced that they had raided a property in north London. The property was a council flat in Curtis House, Ladderswood Way, New Southgate
in which Yasin Hassan Omar
had been living since 1999. No arrests were made in the raid although two men have been arrested in the area. Later reports suggested that explosives may have been found at the raided address.
The BBC has a summary of raids to date.
Major raids were carried out by the police on 29 July in the Notting Hill
and North Kensington
areas of West London. Three people were arrested during these raids, including two of the suspects who were thought to have carried out the failed bombing attempt. (see Wikinews article).
, north London. The BBC reported that the vehicle was a white VW Golf which was not owned by any of the suspects but which was thought to have been used by them.
As of 8 August, the following individuals were being held by police in relation to 21 July or 7 July bombing attempts:
As of 8 August, the following individuals had been released from custody after being held by police in relation to 21 July or 7 July bombing attempts:
Other news sources reported that the bombers watched videos of British and American troops killing women and children in Iraq before embarking on their mission. Some quoted him as
saying "Muktar
showed us some DVDs with images of the war in Iraq, especially women and children killed by American and British soldiers," Hussain said, adding that they were not to talk about these videos with others.
"There was a feeling of hatred and conviction that it was necessary to give signal—to do something." Hussain denied links with either the Al-Qaeda or the 7 July bombers.
, Home Secretary Charles Clarke
, and other ministers and key officials from government and the emergency services attended a meeting in COBR
. Blair interrupted a meeting with Prime Minister of Australia
John Howard
to attend a COBR meeting, although he and Howard later gave a joint news conference. (Howard was also in Washington, D.C., at the time of the 11 September 2001 attacks.) Whitehall
, the main artery serving the governmental district, was initially sealed off and evacuated, but was reopened at 14:45. It was subsequently closed again around 15:25 following an arrest and a bomb scare, both of which were fairly quickly resolved.
Sir Ian Blair
, the Met police chief, described the incident as "serious" but said that there were "fewer injuries", caused by bombs that appeared to be "much smaller than those used on 7 July".
The police advised people to stay where they were and not travel unless absolutely necessary. However, people living within a 300 metre radius of the bomb sites were evacuated, due to worries about chemical agents being used. By about 16:00, however, Sir Ian Blair described the situation as "firmly under control" and urged London "to get ... moving again".
In the United States, the Pentagon
raised its security level in response to the attacks. In addition, New York City Police
announced that they would begin randomly searching backpacks on the New York City Subway
system though they have said that this move had been under consideration before the events in London.
According to the Evening Standard
, stranded commuters and evacuated locals in Shepherd's Bush
held an impromptu street party during the evening of 21 July, in the vicinity of the crime scene, which lasted until the early morning. Music was provided by a peace activism group, and several photographs of this appeared in London's local press the following day.
All other London Underground lines operated as they were before the incidents. The Bakerloo and Piccadilly closures were reportedly due to train drivers refusing to work, rather than because of incidents on the lines. All lines reopened the following day except the Hammersmith & City Line which remained suspended. The affected stations remained closed.
St Pancras railway station
was closed because of a security alert at St Albans
, which caused all Midland Mainline
trains to and from London to be cancelled. Thameslink
trains from the south terminated at Radlett
and from the north at Harpenden
. With Moorgate station closed the Northern City Line
operated by WAGN was also severely disrupted, with trains initially getting no further south than Alexandra Palace
, and then a partial restoration of service with trains normally going to and from Moorgate using King's Cross instead.
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush tube station (Hammersmith and City Line)
Shepherd's Bush Market tube station is a London Underground station in the district of Shepherd's Bush in west London, England. It is on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines, between Goldhawk Road and Wood Lane stations, and it is in Travelcard Zone 2....
, Warren Street
Warren Street tube station
Warren Street tube station is a London Underground station, located at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road. It is on the branch of the Northern Line, between and , and the Victoria Line between and Euston. It is in Travelcard Zone 1 and is the nearest tube station to...
and Oval
Oval tube station
Oval tube station in Kennington is a station on the Northern line of the London Underground between Stockwell and Kennington stations. It is the only station on the Morden branch of the Northern line whose name begins with a vowel and is one of only two stations on the London Underground with only...
stations on London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, and on a bus in Shoreditch
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
. A fifth bomber dumped his device without attempting to set it off.
Connecting lines and stations were closed and evacuated. Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
later said the intention was to cause large-scale loss of life, but only the detonator
Detonator
A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....
s of the bombs exploded, probably causing the popping sounds reported by witnesses, and only one minor injury was reported. The suspects fled the scenes after their bombs failed to explode.
On Friday 22 July, CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
images of four suspects wanted in connection with the bombings were released. Two of the men shown in these images were identified by police on Monday 25 July as Muktar Said Ibrahim
Muktar Said Ibrahim
Muktar Said Ibrahim , also known as Muktar Mohammed Said, has been found guilty of involvement in the attempted July 21 attacks on London's public transport system. He attempted to detonate a device on a London bus and was arrested sharing an apartment with the also guilty Ramzi Mohammed on 29...
and Yasin Hassan Omar
Yasin Hassan Omar
Yasin Hassan Omar was convicted for his role in the attempted 21st July attacks on London's public transport system. He was found guilty of attempting to detonate a device on the London Underground Victoria Line tube train between Warren Street and Oxford Circus tube stations...
. A manhunt, described by the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair
Ian Blair
Ian Warwick Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, QPM is a retired British Police officer who held the position of commissioner of police of the metropolis from 2005 to 2008 and was the highest ranking officer within the Metropolitan Police Service.On 2 October 2008 Blair announced that he would...
as "the largest ever investigation that the Met has ever mounted" was started.
By 29 July, police had arrested all four of the main bombing suspects from 21 July attempted bombings. Yasin Hassan Omar was arrested by police on 27 July, in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. On 29 July, two more suspects were arrested in London. A fourth suspect, Osman Hussein, was arrested in Rome, Italy and later extradited to the UK. Police also arrested numerous other people in the course of their investigations.
On 9 July 2007, four defendants, Muktar Ibrahim, 29, Yassin Omar, 26, Ramzi Mohammed, 25, and Hussain Osman, 28, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder. The four attempted bombers were each sentenced to a minimum of 40 years' imprisonment.
Explosions on the underground
- 12:26 BSTBritish Summer TimeWestern European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
– An explosion occurred on a train at Shepherd's Bush tube stationShepherd's Bush tube station (Hammersmith and City Line)Shepherd's Bush Market tube station is a London Underground station in the district of Shepherd's Bush in west London, England. It is on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines, between Goldhawk Road and Wood Lane stations, and it is in Travelcard Zone 2....
on the Hammersmith and City Line in West London. - 12:30 BST – An explosion occurred on a train at Oval tube stationOval tube stationOval tube station in Kennington is a station on the Northern line of the London Underground between Stockwell and Kennington stations. It is the only station on the Morden branch of the Northern line whose name begins with a vowel and is one of only two stations on the London Underground with only...
on the Northern LineNorthern LineThe Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
. - 12:45 BST – An explosion occurred on a Victoria LineVictoria LineThe Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
train at Warren Street tube stationWarren Street tube stationWarren Street tube station is a London Underground station, located at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road. It is on the branch of the Northern Line, between and , and the Victoria Line between and Euston. It is in Travelcard Zone 1 and is the nearest tube station to...
(through which the Northern Line also runs).
In each case, only the detonator caps fired and the bombs themselves did not go off. This fortuitous "dudding" of four simultaneous attempted bombings may have been due to the low quality hydrogen peroxide used in the devices, which had been obtained from a large number of readily available sources. The explosions were small—only about as powerful as a large firework — and no injuries were reported, although a person who suffered an asthma attack was counted as the incident's sole casualty.
In response to the blasts, the stations were all evacuated and a number of other stations including Archway
Archway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
in North London, Moorgate, St. Paul's
St. Paul's tube station
St. Paul's tube station is a London Underground station in the City of London on the Central Line, between Bank and Chancery Lane stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 1....
in the City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and Green Park
Green Park tube station
Green Park tube station is a London Underground station located on the north side of Green Park, close to the intersection of Piccadilly and the pedestrian Queen's Walk...
in the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
were also cleared. Many parts of the London Underground system including the Victoria Line, Northern Line, Hammersmith and City Line, Bakerloo Line
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
and Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
were suspended.
Some eyewitnesses reported a "strange smell", described by some as resembling burning rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, emanating from the Underground stations. Some early reports seem to be suggesting that the smell preceded the bang by several minutes. It appears that people on a train smelt a strange odour, and realised something was wrong. They ran from one carriage to another while the train was still moving and then heard an explosion behind them.
Eyewitnesses at the scenes reported seeing men running away from the site of the explosions, and there were unconfirmed suggestions that one of the bombers had been injured. According to the RMT union
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is a trade union in the United Kingdom which unionises transport workers. It has more than 80,000 members, and its current general secretary is Bob Crow...
, which represents Underground staff, the suspect used a handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
in a failed attempt to detonate explosives contained in a backpack.
Explosion on a double-decker bus
- 13:30 BST – A small explosion occurred in east London on the Number 26 busLondon Buses route 26London Buses route 26 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Capital.-History:...
travelling from WaterlooWaterloo stationWaterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to Hackney WickHackney Wick railway stationHackney Wick railway station is on the North London Line in the London Borough of Hackney, on the northern side of the boundary between Hackney and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in east London. It is in Travelcard Zone 2. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground...
, on Hackney RoadHackney RoadHackney Road is a London arterial route running from Shoreditch Church to Cambridge Heath. It occupies a no mans land in between Bethnal Green and Haggerston...
at the corner with Columbia RoadColumbia Road marketColumbia Road Flower Market is one of many markets in Central London; a street flower market, it is located in East London. Columbia Road is a road of Victorian shops off the Hackney Road in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets...
in ShoreditchShoreditchShoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
. There were no fatalities in the explosion.
The vehicle involved was Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...
Dennis Trident 2
Dennis Trident 2
Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
(17762, LX03 BUU), identical in type to the bus destroyed on 7/7, and based at the same depot; Stratford (SD).
Casualties
Although the emergency services were quickly mobilised, it became clear that the explosions had been too small to cause injuries. Authorities have stated that the only casualty resulted from an asthma attack apparently triggered by the incident.Early suspicion of chemical attacks
Some eyewitnesses reported a "strange smell" at the scene of some of the attempted attacks and some reported seeing a white powder near the rucksacks containing the suspected bombs. As is normal in such situations, firefighters in chemical protection gear conducted tests for chemical agents before declaring the scenes free of any unconventional weapons. Police have since confirmed that the devices used by the would-be bombers were entirely conventional explosives.A number of theories has been advanced for the presence of the unusual smells. They could possibly have resulted from the burning or smouldering (but not detonation) of the bombs' explosives, or they could have been the natural smell of the explosive. The homemade explosive thought to have been used in the 7 July
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
bombings, TATP
Acetone peroxide
Acetone peroxide is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. It takes the form of a white crystalline powder with a distinctive bleach-like odor....
, is notoriously unstable and emits a distinctive smell as it sublimates
Sublimation (physics)
Sublimation is the process of transition of a substance from the solid phase to the gas phase without passing through an intermediate liquid phase...
.
It was reported that one of the 7 July suspects, Jamal (Germaine) Lindsay, had bought £900 worth of perfumes immediately before the bombings, possibly to disguise the acrid smell of the decomposing explosives. Some witnesses reported seeing a white powder: TATP is a white crystalline powder. An eyewitnesses mentioned that as one of the explosions occurred there was a "smell of vinegar" which could be attributed to combustion byproducts of the explosive TATP.
University College Hospital (UCH)
University College HospitalUniversity College Hospital
University College Hospital is a teaching hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is closely associated with University College London ....
, near Warren Street, was cordoned off at 14:30 BST, reportedly by armed police. Eyewitnesses reported seeing three armed police officers entering the building.
Both CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported that the armed police at University College Hospital were pursuing a suspected bomber who fled into the building following a chase on foot down Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road is a major road in central London, United Kingdom, running from St Giles Circus north to Euston Road, near the border of the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile...
. Witnesses reported shots being fired as the man led police on the chase from Warren Street tube station
Warren Street tube station
Warren Street tube station is a London Underground station, located at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road. It is on the branch of the Northern Line, between and , and the Victoria Line between and Euston. It is in Travelcard Zone 1 and is the nearest tube station to...
. Police say the "gunshots" may have actually been detonators going off.
An internal memo at the hospital told employees to look for a tall man with wires protruding from his clothing. The memo reportedly described the suspect as "a black male, possibly of Asian origin, about 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) tall, wearing a blue top with wires protruding from the rear of the top." The BBC spoke to Prof Jim Ryan of UCH, who said he had not seen any such memo and dismissed the idea as "absolute rumour." A BBC reporter, however, said that he had been given a copy of an email sent to staff asking them to look for the suspect.
Later in the afternoon police said they had ended their armed operation at the hospital, but returned 30 minutes later. A Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
spokesman told the BBC: "We've got our armed deployment at UCH but we can't discuss it further.". There were conflicting reports on whether the redeployment was related to the bombings. CNN reported that sources told them police had returned to conduct a manhunt inside the building, but police said the deployment was unrelated to the explosions.
The first arrests
At 15:30, around two hours after the explosions, a major security alert occurred in WhitehallWhitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
outside the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
during which a man was arrested by armed police. The man was ordered to lie on the pavement before being handcuffed and arrested, about 20 metres from Downing Street
Downing Street
Downing Street in London, England has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an...
. He was also ordered to open his jacket and shirt before being taken by the police, presumably to allow police to see any hidden explosives that may have been on his person. He did not appear to be carrying any bags, and did not seem to be wearing a belt, although it was very hard for the reporter to see. The BBC reported (and television coverage showed) that he was wearing a small black backpack which the police had him remove before undoing his shirt.
Two other people were also arrested: one in the Whitehall area, and one near Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road is a major road in central London, United Kingdom, running from St Giles Circus north to Euston Road, near the border of the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile...
, according to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. But all were later released without any charges being brought against them.
According to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair
Ian Blair
Ian Warwick Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, QPM is a retired British Police officer who held the position of commissioner of police of the metropolis from 2005 to 2008 and was the highest ranking officer within the Metropolitan Police Service.On 2 October 2008 Blair announced that he would...
, the two arrests in Whitehall were "totally unconnected" to the earlier explosions.
Other security alerts
A security alert was declared, mid-afternoon, at St Albans railway station, north of London. The station was closed and the surrounding area evacuated following the discovery of an unattended backpackBackpack
A backpack is, in its simplest form, a cloth sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders, but there can be exceptions...
. A number 37 bus (Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
to Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
) was also cordoned off after a suspect package was discovered. These incidents are both believed to be bomb scares.
Death of Jean Charles de Menezes
Police shot and killed a Brazilian man, Jean Charles de MenezesJean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes was a Brazilian man shot in the head seven times at Stockwell tube station on the London Underground by the London Metropolitan police, after he was misidentified as one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts...
, at Stockwell tube station
Stockwell tube station
Stockwell tube station is a London Underground station in Stockwell, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is located on the Northern Line between Oval and Clapham North, and on the Victoria Line between Brixton and Vauxhall. It is the southernmost station on the London Undergound that serves more...
shortly after 10:00 on 22 July. Officers had pursued de Menezes from a location under surveillance, believing him to be one of the men wanted for the attacks of the previous day. They apparently believed de Menezes, who was claimed to be wearing a heavy jacket – later shown to be an ordinary denim jacket – was a possible suicide bomber.
Police later confirmed he was not related to the bombing incidents and issued an apology, saying that "For somebody to lose their life in such circumstances is a tragedy and one that the Metropolitan Police Service regrets."
Services on the Victoria Line
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
between Victoria and Brixton and on the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
between Kennington and Morden were suspended at the request of the police.
Security alerts
SkySky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
and BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
reported that the East London Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
on Whitechapel Road in Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
had been surrounded by armed police and that residents were told to stay indoors. The mosque was evacuated at about 10:30 and searched. However, police confirmed that it was a bomb scare and the all-clear was given after just over an hour.
Security alerts continued into the weekend, with major disruption to London's transport system.
A fifth bomb
On 23 July, a suspect package was found in bushes in Little Wormwood ScrubsLittle Wormwood Scrubs
Little Wormwood Scrubs is a park in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It was originally part of Wormwood Scrubs, and separated in the 1840s when the railway embankment of the West London Line was built....
, just north of White City
White City, London
White City is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, to the north of Shepherd's Bush. Today, White City is home to the BBC Television Centre and BBC White City, and Loftus Road stadium, the home of football club Queens Park Rangers FC....
and Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
. It was subjected to a controlled explosion and appears to have been a further bomb made to the same design as the others used on 21 July. This led to speculation that a fifth bomber might be at large. Scotland Yard stated that they were looking for more than just the four men caught on CCTV, and by 29 July five suspected bombers had been arrested.
Like other devices used on 21 July, the device was packed into a six-and-a-quarter litre clear plastic food container with a white lid, manufactured by Delta of India, sold in about 100 outlets across the UK. The police made an appeal to retailers who may have sold five or more in the time period.
Investigation
It was immediately apparent that the explosions were the result of a terrorist attack, but it was initially unclear whether the explosions were a serious attempt to repeat 7 July bombings or were merely a symbolic attack or hoax intended to cause panic rather than mass casualties. The explosives used by the bombers consisted of Chapatti flourFlour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
powder mixed with liquid hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
, detonated by a booster charge. This was the same explosive mixture used by the bombers in the 7/7 bombings two weeks earlier. It was later confirmed that substantial improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s capable of causing significant numbers of casualties had in fact been involved, but had failed to explode. The explosions were caused by detonator
Detonator
A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....
s which failed to detonate the main explosive charge. Police later disclosed that some of the devices used had survived the explosions and were available for forensic investigation.
In relation to the 7 July bombings
Both sets of bombings involved three Underground trains and a bus; in both cases rucksacks were involved; and in both cases the three Underground explosions were roughly simultaneous while the bus explosion was an hour later. Moreover, in both cases the four explosion locations were dispersed around central LondonCentral London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
in such a way that they could be reasonably said to have occurred "in the north, south, east, and west," recalling the wording of several Islamist manifestos.
Not all the tube stations targeted on 21 July were below ground. Shepherd's Bush (Hammersmith & City
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
) station (since renamed Shepherd's Bush Market, and now also served by Circle Line trains) is above ground, can receive mobile signals, and is within sight and earshot of the BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
.
It has been widely speculated that the 21 July bombings were the work of members of the same violent Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
cell that carried out the 7 July bombings. Given that they were remarkably unsuccessful, however, some think that they are more probably explained as copycat attacks
Copycat crimes
A copycat crime is a criminal act that is modelled or inspired by a previous crime that has been reported in the media or described in fiction.-Copycat effect:...
.
The reason for the apparent failure of the bombs is as yet unknown, but it has been suggested that they may have been assembled from the stockpile of explosives discovered in Leeds following the 7 July attacks. Many types of explosive material (particularly home-made varieties) are chemically unstable, and it is possible that the explosives used on 21 July had deteriorated to a point where they were incapable of exploding.
It was later reported that three of the four devices were of similar size and weight to those used on 7 July, with the fourth being housed in a smaller plastic box; all were said to have used the same type of explosive.
Claims of responsibility
Late Thursday night, a group calling itself the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade, after a nickname for one of Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
's lieutenants who was killed in a 2001 airstrike in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, posted a statement claiming responsibility for the attempted bombings. The group vowed that the terror would continue as long as Europe's soldiers were in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The group also claimed responsibility for the 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
, the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
The Madrid train bombings consisted of a series of coordinated bombings against the Cercanías system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of 11 March 2004 , killing 191 people and wounding 1,800...
, and the 2003 North America blackout. Experts doubt the legitimacy of the group, as security experts have discredited the claims of the Madrid attack, and investigators have ruled out sabotage as a cause of the blackout. In its statement, the group cited Rome, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
as future targets. However, the group has made threats in the past that it has failed to carry out. The group has also previously falsely claimed responsibility for events that were the result of technical problems, such as the 2003 London blackout
2003 London blackout
The 2003 London blackout was a serious power outage that occurred in parts of southern London and north-west Kent on 28 August 2003. It was the largest blackout in South East England since the Great Storm of 1987, affecting an estimated 500,000 people....
and Northeast Blackout of 2003
Northeast Blackout of 2003
The Northeast blackout of 2003 was a widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, just before 4:10 p.m....
.
Suspects and later arrests
Several individuals were reported to have been arrested on 22 July in connection with the bombings, including one man in Stockwell—the area where the shooting incident took place—and another man at a Snow Hill railway station in the city of BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
who was soon released without charge. The former may be among the individuals seen running away from the scenes of the incidents who were caught on CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
footage. Police released images of people they wished to question with regards to the attempted bombings captured from London transport CCTV cameras.
On 25 July, two of the suspects were named by police as Yasin Hassan Omar
Yasin Hassan Omar
Yasin Hassan Omar was convicted for his role in the attempted 21st July attacks on London's public transport system. He was found guilty of attempting to detonate a device on the London Underground Victoria Line tube train between Warren Street and Oxford Circus tube stations...
and Muktar Said Ibrahim
Muktar Said Ibrahim
Muktar Said Ibrahim , also known as Muktar Mohammed Said, has been found guilty of involvement in the attempted July 21 attacks on London's public transport system. He attempted to detonate a device on a London bus and was arrested sharing an apartment with the also guilty Ramzi Mohammed on 29...
(also known as Muktar Mohammed Said). Yasin Hassan Omar is suspected of trying to detonate the device at Warren Street tube station and Muktar Said Ibrahim is suspected of trying to detonate the device on the bus. The Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
has stated that both men have legally been resident for at least ten years. Muktar Said Ibrahim had apparently been receiving housing benefit.
On Wednesday 27 July, police arrested Omar in Birmingham. A suspect package was found in the course of his arrest. Three further arrests were also made in Birmingham. This raid was raised because the caretaker of the area found around 10 large bottles of hair dye, which can be used in explosives, and he was suspicious so called a low level police contact.
Major police raids occurred in west London on 29 July. It has been reported that a further two of the pictured suspects, Muktar Said Ibrahim and Ramzi Mohammed
Ramzi Mohammed
A Somali National, Ramzi Mohammed is a convicted bomber in the attempted London bombing of July 21st 2005.Ramzi is currently serving 40 years for conspiracy to murder on the Oval tube station train. He was arrested sharing an apartment with Muktar Said Ibrahim on 29 July 2005, amid allegations...
, were arrested in the course of these raids, while the Shepherd's Bush suspect - Osman Hussain
Osman Hussain
Osman Hussain was found guilty of having placed an explosive at the Shepherd's Bush tube station during the failed 21 July 2005 London bombings...
- was arrested in Rome that day. The men arrested in London were apparently the suspects wanted in connection with the Oval tube and bus bombing attempts, and the man arrested in Rome is the Shepherd's Bush suspect. A European Arrest Warrant
European Arrest Warrant
The European Arrest Warrant is an arrest warrant valid throughout all member states of the European Union . Once issued by a member state, it requires the receiving member state to arrest and transfer a criminal suspect or sentenced person to the issuing state so that the person can be put on...
for Osman Hussain
Osman Hussain
Osman Hussain was found guilty of having placed an explosive at the Shepherd's Bush tube station during the failed 21 July 2005 London bombings...
was issued by the Metropolitan Police, and he was extradited to the UK where he was charged on 8 December 2005. In addition the suspected fifth bomber Whabi Mohammad
Whabi Mohammad
Whabi Mohammad, 22 at the time, is reported to be the "fifth bomber" wanted in connection with the 21 July 2005 London bombings, and to have been arrested on or before 28 July 2005. . He is the brother of Ramzi Mohammad, another of the suspected bombers. Whabi Mohammad and the other bombers were...
, 22, the brother of Ramzi Mohammad, was also under arrest by 28 July.
Charges
On 7 August 2005, Yasin Hassan OmarYasin Hassan Omar
Yasin Hassan Omar was convicted for his role in the attempted 21st July attacks on London's public transport system. He was found guilty of attempting to detonate a device on the London Underground Victoria Line tube train between Warren Street and Oxford Circus tube stations...
, Muktar Said Ibrahim
Muktar Said Ibrahim
Muktar Said Ibrahim , also known as Muktar Mohammed Said, has been found guilty of involvement in the attempted July 21 attacks on London's public transport system. He attempted to detonate a device on a London bus and was arrested sharing an apartment with the also guilty Ramzi Mohammed on 29...
, and Ramzi Mohammed
Ramzi Mohammed
A Somali National, Ramzi Mohammed is a convicted bomber in the attempted London bombing of July 21st 2005.Ramzi is currently serving 40 years for conspiracy to murder on the Oval tube station train. He was arrested sharing an apartment with Muktar Said Ibrahim on 29 July 2005, amid allegations...
were charged with attempting to murder passengers and being in possession of an explosive substance. Along with a fourth man, Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, they were also charged with conspiring to murder passengers.
See the article on Osman Hussain
Osman Hussain
Osman Hussain was found guilty of having placed an explosive at the Shepherd's Bush tube station during the failed 21 July 2005 London bombings...
for the charges laid against him on 8 December 2005 and other information.
On 26 February 2008, a Tanzanian-born Muslim man who dubbed himself "Osama bin London" was found guilty of encouraging his followers to murder non-believers and of running violent Islamist training camps in Britain. Mohammed Hamid, 50, who came to England when he was five, was convicted along with three followers - Kibley da Costa, 25, Mohammed al-Figari, 45, and Kader Ahmed, 20 - whom the jury found guilty of attending the training camps. A fifth suspect, Atilla Ahmet, 43, who once boasted of being Al Qaeda's top figure in Europe, admitted three charges of soliciting murder at the start of the complex four-month trial at Woolwich Crown Court. The trial was closely watched in Britain as Hamid was accused of providing the inspiration for the men who tried to carry out botched suicide bombings on London's transport system on 21 July 2005.
Trial
Muktar Ibrahim, Manfo Asiedu, Hussein Osman, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Adel Yahya began trial in relation to the attacks of 21 July 2005 at Woolwich Crown CourtWoolwich Crown Court
Woolwich Crown Court, located at 2 Belmarsh Road, Thamesmead is one of twelve Crown Courts serving Greater London.It stands adjacent to both HM Prison Belmarsh and Belmarsh Magistrate's Court. Operational from 1993, it has 7 courtrooms and deals with more than 750 cases a year. Until recently,...
on 15 January 2007. The case was anticipated to last for 'up to four months,' but in fact the jury only retired to consider the verdict on 28 June, 5½ months later.
On 9 July 2007 the jury found Muktar Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed, and Hussain Osman guilty of conspiracy to murder.
In November 2007, Manfo Kwaku Asiedu admitted conspiracy to cause explosions while a charge of conspiracy to murder was dropped. Adel Yahya pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
House raids
In the afternoon of 22 July, house raids were conducted on Harrow RoadA404 road
The A404 is a road in the United Kingdom that starts at Paddington in London and leads to Maidenhead in Berkshire.The road initially follows a course through London and its suburbs including Harlesden, Wembley, Harrow Pinner, and Rickmansworth...
in West London
West (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
(approximately a mile from Paddington railway station). The road was cordoned off by armed police and some eyewitnesses reported seeing a bomb-disabling robot.
On 25 July police announced that they had raided a property in north London. The property was a council flat in Curtis House, Ladderswood Way, New Southgate
New Southgate
New Southgate is a residential suburb in the south-east corner of the London Borough of Barnet and the south-west corner of the London Borough of Enfield in North London, England....
in which Yasin Hassan Omar
Yasin Hassan Omar
Yasin Hassan Omar was convicted for his role in the attempted 21st July attacks on London's public transport system. He was found guilty of attempting to detonate a device on the London Underground Victoria Line tube train between Warren Street and Oxford Circus tube stations...
had been living since 1999. No arrests were made in the raid although two men have been arrested in the area. Later reports suggested that explosives may have been found at the raided address.
The BBC has a summary of raids to date.
Major raids were carried out by the police on 29 July in the Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
and North Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
areas of West London. Three people were arrested during these raids, including two of the suspects who were thought to have carried out the failed bombing attempt. (see Wikinews article).
Seized vehicles
On 26 July it was reported that police had seized a vehicle abandoned in East FinchleyEast Finchley
East Finchley is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.- History :The land on which...
, north London. The BBC reported that the vehicle was a white VW Golf which was not owned by any of the suspects but which was thought to have been used by them.
Individuals charged or held by police
As of 8 August 2005 the following people had been charged in relation to 21 July or 7 July bombing attempts:- Charged with association with the aim of international terrorism and with possessing false documents in Italy:
- Osman Hussein, found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of conspiracy to murder and sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison.
- Charged with association with the aim of international terrorism:
- Yasin Hassan OmarYasin Hassan OmarYasin Hassan Omar was convicted for his role in the attempted 21st July attacks on London's public transport system. He was found guilty of attempting to detonate a device on the London Underground Victoria Line tube train between Warren Street and Oxford Circus tube stations...
, arrested 27 July in BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, charged 7 August, found guilty of conspiracy to murder 9 July 2007. - Ramzi MohammedRamzi MohammedA Somali National, Ramzi Mohammed is a convicted bomber in the attempted London bombing of July 21st 2005.Ramzi is currently serving 40 years for conspiracy to murder on the Oval tube station train. He was arrested sharing an apartment with Muktar Said Ibrahim on 29 July 2005, amid allegations...
, charged 7 August, found guilty of conspiracy to murder 9 July 2007. - Muktar Said IbrahimMuktar Said IbrahimMuktar Said Ibrahim , also known as Muktar Mohammed Said, has been found guilty of involvement in the attempted July 21 attacks on London's public transport system. He attempted to detonate a device on a London bus and was arrested sharing an apartment with the also guilty Ramzi Mohammed on 29...
, charged 7 August, found guilty of conspiracy to murder 9 July 2007.
- Yasin Hassan Omar
- Charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious injury:
- Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, charged 7 August, remanded in custody until 14 November.
- Charged with failing to disclose information that may help police investigating an act of terrorism:
- Siraj Yassin Abdullah Ali, remanded in custody until 11 August.
- Shadi Sami Abdel Gadir, remanded in custody until 11 August.
- Omar Nagmeloin Almagboul, remanded in custody until 11 August.
- Mohamed Kabashi, remanded in custody until 11 August.
- Yeshshiemebet GirmaYeshshiemebet GirmaYeshshiemebet Girma was the second person charged under the Terrorism Act over the 21 July 2005 London bombings, along with her sister Muluemebet Girma. She is married to Hamdi Adus Isaac who is suspected of attempting to detonate a bomb at Shepherd's Bush tube station...
, remanded in custody until 11 August. - Muluemebet GirmaMuluemebet GirmaMuluemebet Girma , from Stockwell, London, was the third person charged under the Terrorism Act over the 21 July 2005 London bombings, along with her sister Yeshshiembet Girma...
, remanded in custody until 11 August.
- Charged with failing to disclose information about suspected Shepherd's Bush bomber Hussain Osman:
- Ismael Abdurahman, remanded in custody until 11 August.
- Charged with assisting a person or persons in evading arrest:
- Asias Girma, remanded in custody until 11 August.
- Whabi Mohammed, remanded in custody until 11 August.
As of 8 August, the following individuals were being held by police in relation to 21 July or 7 July bombing attempts:
- One of two men, arrested 1 August in raids on addresses in ClaphamClaphamClapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
and StockwellStockwellStockwell is a district in inner south west London, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Brixton, Clapham, Vauxhall and Kennington all border Stockwell...
, South London - A woman, arrested 3 August in Stockwell
As of 8 August, the following individuals had been released from custody after being held by police in relation to 21 July or 7 July bombing attempts:
- Two men, arrested 22 July in StockwellStockwellStockwell is a district in inner south west London, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Brixton, Clapham, Vauxhall and Kennington all border Stockwell...
, South London - A man, arrested 23 July in Tulse HillTulse HillTulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London, England. It lies to the south of Brixton, east of Brixton Hill, north of West Norwood and west of West Dulwich.-History:...
, South London - A man, arrested 24 July near Curtis House, in New SouthgateNew SouthgateNew Southgate is a residential suburb in the south-east corner of the London Borough of Barnet and the south-west corner of the London Borough of Enfield in North London, England....
in North London and rearrested on 6 August, bailed to return in September - A man, arrested 25 July, again near Curtis House
- three men, arrested 27 July in Washwood HeathWashwood HeathWashwood Heath is a ward in Birmingham, within the formal district of Hodge Hill, roughly two miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, England...
, Birmingham - one woman, arrested 27 July in Stockwell on suspicion of harbouring offenders, bailed to return in September
- nine people, arrested 28 July in TootingTootingTooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, South London - three people, arrested 29 July in Notting HillNotting HillNotting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
and North KensingtonNorth KensingtonNorth Kensington is an area of west London lying north of Notting Hill Gate and south of Harrow Road.North Kensington is the key neighbourhood of Notting Hill... - two women, arrested 29 July in Liverpool Street stationLiverpool Street stationLiverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
- three men and a woman, arrested 31 July in BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
- a man arrested 2 August in FinchleyFinchleyFinchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
, north London
Sentences
- Muktar Ibrahim, Ramzi Mohammed, Hussain Osman, Yassin Omar. Jailed for minimum 40 years.
- Manfo Asiedu. Jailed for 33 years.
- Adel Yahya. Jailed for six years and nine months.
- Wahbi Mohammed, Abdul Sherif, Siraj Ali, Muhedin Ali, Ismail Abdurahman. Jailed for between 17 and seven years
- Yeshi Girma, Hussain Osman's wife. Jailed for 15 years. Her brother Esayas Girma and sister Mulu Girma were jailed for 10 years. Mulu's boyfriend Mohamed Kabashi was jailed for 10 years. Fardosa Abdullahi, Yassin Omar's fiancee, was jailed for three years.
Objectives and Iraq connection
During the initial investigation in Rome, Hussain said he was motivated to participate in the attacks after viewing videos of war-torn Iraq. "I am against war," Osman said "I've marched in peace rallies and nobody listened to me. I never thought of killing people." He claimed that the bombs were never meant to detonate or kill anybody, only to draw attention to the Iraq war.Other news sources reported that the bombers watched videos of British and American troops killing women and children in Iraq before embarking on their mission. Some quoted him as
saying "Muktar
Muktar Said Ibrahim
Muktar Said Ibrahim , also known as Muktar Mohammed Said, has been found guilty of involvement in the attempted July 21 attacks on London's public transport system. He attempted to detonate a device on a London bus and was arrested sharing an apartment with the also guilty Ramzi Mohammed on 29...
showed us some DVDs with images of the war in Iraq, especially women and children killed by American and British soldiers," Hussain said, adding that they were not to talk about these videos with others.
"There was a feeling of hatred and conviction that it was necessary to give signal—to do something." Hussain denied links with either the Al-Qaeda or the 7 July bombers.
Response and advice
Prime Minister Tony BlairTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, Home Secretary Charles Clarke
Charles Clarke
Charles Rodway Clarke is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Norwich South from 1997 until 2010, and served as Home Secretary from December 2004 until May 2006.-Early life:...
, and other ministers and key officials from government and the emergency services attended a meeting in COBR
Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms
Cabinet Office Briefing Room is a term used to describe the formation of a crisis response committee, coordinating the actions of bodies within the government of the United Kingdom in response to instances of national or regional crisis, or during events abroad with major implications for the UK...
. Blair interrupted a meeting with Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
to attend a COBR meeting, although he and Howard later gave a joint news conference. (Howard was also in Washington, D.C., at the time of the 11 September 2001 attacks.) Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
, the main artery serving the governmental district, was initially sealed off and evacuated, but was reopened at 14:45. It was subsequently closed again around 15:25 following an arrest and a bomb scare, both of which were fairly quickly resolved.
Sir Ian Blair
Ian Blair
Ian Warwick Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, QPM is a retired British Police officer who held the position of commissioner of police of the metropolis from 2005 to 2008 and was the highest ranking officer within the Metropolitan Police Service.On 2 October 2008 Blair announced that he would...
, the Met police chief, described the incident as "serious" but said that there were "fewer injuries", caused by bombs that appeared to be "much smaller than those used on 7 July".
The police advised people to stay where they were and not travel unless absolutely necessary. However, people living within a 300 metre radius of the bomb sites were evacuated, due to worries about chemical agents being used. By about 16:00, however, Sir Ian Blair described the situation as "firmly under control" and urged London "to get ... moving again".
In the United States, the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
raised its security level in response to the attacks. In addition, New York City Police
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
announced that they would begin randomly searching backpacks on the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
system though they have said that this move had been under consideration before the events in London.
According to the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, stranded commuters and evacuated locals in Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
held an impromptu street party during the evening of 21 July, in the vicinity of the crime scene, which lasted until the early morning. Music was provided by a peace activism group, and several photographs of this appeared in London's local press the following day.
Impact on public transport
In contrast to 7 July there was not a complete shutdown of the London Underground system and parts of the network continued to operate.- The Victoria LineVictoria LineThe Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
was entirely suspended and partially reopened later the same day - The Northern LineNorthern LineThe Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
was entirely suspended and reopened the following day - The Hammersmith and City Line was suspended
- The Piccadilly LinePiccadilly LineThe Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
was suspended and reopened the following day, except the portions still closed due to 7 July attacks - The Bakerloo LineBakerloo LineThe Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
was entirely suspended and reopened later the same day - The Metropolitan LineMetropolitan LineThe Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
was suspended between Baker Street and Moorgate and reopened later the same day - The Circle Line was already suspended due to 7 July attacks
All other London Underground lines operated as they were before the incidents. The Bakerloo and Piccadilly closures were reportedly due to train drivers refusing to work, rather than because of incidents on the lines. All lines reopened the following day except the Hammersmith & City Line which remained suspended. The affected stations remained closed.
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
was closed because of a security alert at St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, which caused all Midland Mainline
Midland Mainline
Midland Mainline was a British train operating company owned by the National Express Group and based in Derby. It was created after the privatisation of British Rail. Midland Mainline services operated from April 1996 to November 2007....
trains to and from London to be cancelled. Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
trains from the south terminated at Radlett
Radlett
Radlett is a small town in the county of Hertfordshire between St Albans and Borehamwood on Watling Street with a population of approximately 8,000. It is located in the council district of Hertsmere and is covered by two wards, Aldenham East and Aldenham West...
and from the north at Harpenden
Harpenden
Harpenden is a town in Hertfordshire, England.The town's total population is just under 30,000.-Geography and administration:There are two civil parishes: Harpenden and Harpenden Rural....
. With Moorgate station closed the Northern City Line
Northern City Line
The Northern City Line is a railway line from Moorgate to Finsbury Park in London, once part of the Great Northern Electrics line. It should not be confused with the City branch of the Northern line, nor with the North London Line...
operated by WAGN was also severely disrupted, with trains initially getting no further south than Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace railway station
Alexandra Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Haringey in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by First Capital Connect...
, and then a partial restoration of service with trains normally going to and from Moorgate using King's Cross instead.
See also
- European arrest warrantEuropean Arrest WarrantThe European Arrest Warrant is an arrest warrant valid throughout all member states of the European Union . Once issued by a member state, it requires the receiving member state to arrest and transfer a criminal suspect or sentenced person to the issuing state so that the person can be put on...
- Islamism in London
- Londonistan: How Britain is Creating a Terror State Within
External links
- "Mind the Gap" on Google Video Film by ex MI5MI5The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
spy David ShaylerDavid ShaylerDavid Shayler is a British journalist and former MI5 officer. Shayler earned notoriety after being prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act 1989 for his passing secret documents to the Mail on Sunday in August 1997 that alleged that MI5 was paranoid about socialists, and that it had previously...
on inaccuracies of official explanation of the London Bombings - Interactive map of bomb locations
- Official London Transport Status and Updates
News articles
- London bomb suspect 'had come in contact with police three times'; The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
- BBC: 21 July plot suspects: Charges in full (8 August 2005)
- Sky: Group claim responsibility for bombings
- Guardian: Alert after explosions in London
- BBC News, Tube cleared after minor blasts
- CNN news story
- FOX News: London Official Confirms Subway Blasts
Statements and announcements
- Statement by Prime Minister Tony Blair with Prime Minister John Howard
- Metropolitan Police request for witness information
- Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair Statement