London Attacker Interested in Jihad, Not Linked to ISIS, Says Cops

Khalid Masood’s mother said she had “shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident”.

Police on Monday said the man behind the terror attack outside the British Parliament last week had an interest in 'jihad' but there's no evidence to suggest that he was part of ISIS, which had claimed him as its "soldier".

The Scotland Yard's Indian-origin deputy assistant commissioner, Neil Basu, in a statement said Khalid Masood's attack had echoes of the rhetoric of ISIS but no evidence at this stage suggests he was linked to the group.

His attack method appears to be based on low sophistication, low tech, low cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of ISIS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but at this stage I have no evidence he discussed this with others.

Neil Basu, deputy assistant commissioner, Scotland Yard

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He added, “There is no evidence that Masood was radicalised in prison in 2003, as has been suggested; this is pure speculation at this time. Whilst I have found no evidence of an association with ISIS or AQ (Al Qaeda), there is clearly an interest in jihad.”

Basu went on to add that there has been much speculation about who Masood was in contact with immediately prior to the attack and that his communications from that day remain a line of enquiry. He called on the public to report if they heard from him on 22 March, the day of the attack.

I know when, where and how Masood committed his atrocities, but now I need to know why. Most importantly, so do the victims and families.

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Basu's statement came as Masood's mother expressed her shock at the attack. Janet Ajao said she had "shed many tears for the people caught up in this horrendous incident".

"I wish to make it absolutely clear, so there can be no doubt, I do not condone his actions nor support the beliefs he held that led to him committing this atrocity," she said in reference to her son, 52-year-old Masood, born Adrian Russell Ajao before he converted to Islam.

Masood was shot dead by security officials after he ploughed through pedestrians and fatally stabbed a policeman just outside the British parliament on Wednesday.

Four people were killed and dozens more were injured.