Police in Britain confirmed on Friday evening that one more
massive car bomb set to explode in central London near the first
car bomb was defused early Friday morning.
The car was illegally parked near Haymarket and towed to a car
pound before staff there alerted police when "it smelled of gas,"
Sky news reported.
Like the first car bomb found in Haymarket in a metallic green
Mercedes, the second one was also packed with petrol, gas
cannisters and nails, the second one was also defused and taken
away for examination.
Peter Clarke, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the
anti-terrorism branch at the Metropolitan Police, said at a news
conference that the second car was a blue Mercedes and was parked a
few hundred yards from the first one between Haymarket and
Trafalgar Square.
"The vehicle was found to contain very similar materials to the
first vehicle in Haymarket," said Clarke, adding "the vehicles are
clearly linked."
According to Clarke, "the discovery of a second bomb is
obviously troubling and reinforces the need for the public to
remain vigilant."
He urged anyone with information about the blue Mercedes to come
forward.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on Friday afternoon that
Britain is "currently facing the most serious and sustained threat"
and authorities are doing everything they can to protect the
public.
Following the incident, more police are patrolling London
streets and security measures have been boosted at both houses of
the Parliament.
Sky news quoted government sources as saying the security
services are looking at possible international links which include
similar car bombs used by insurgents in Iraq.
The bomb scares remind London residents of the terrorist attacks
in the city's public transport in 2005, when 52 innocent people
were killed and more than 700 injured.
(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2007)
