UK announces identity of third suspect in London terrorist attack

The third suspect in the car crash and stabbing incident in London on the evening of June 3 is Youssef Zaghba.

From left, Rachid Redouane, Khuram Shazad Butt and Youssef Zaghba, the three men who carried out the car crash and stabbing in London on the evening of June 3. Photo: Sky News

Youssef Zaghba, 22, is an Italian of Moroccan origin. He was stopped at Bologna airport, Italy, last year while en route to Türkiye to go to Syria, according to the Guardian.

British police confirmed Zaghba's identity after he was previously reported in Italian media. Zaghba may have lived in east London.

According to Italian media reports, Zaghba recently worked at a Pakistani restaurant in London. He is on a list of dangerous subjects in Italy. However, British security sources said Zaghba was not on the radar of counter-terrorism investigators in the country.

On March 15, 2016, Zaghba was stopped at Bologna airport. At that time, he was carrying only a one-way ticket to Istanbul, Türkiye.

According to La Repubblica, when questioned, Zaghba said he "would become a terrorist". Zaghba's phone contained many videos promoting extremism, showing that he "wanted to join the Islamic State (IS)", the newspaper wrote.

The other two attackers were Khuram Shazad Butt, 27, a British citizen born in Pakistan, and Rachid Redouane, 30, a Libyan of Moroccan origin.

Butt, Redouane and Zaghba rented a van on the night of June 3 and plowed into pedestrians on London Bridge in the UK. They then headed to nearby Borough Market, got out of the van and stabbed many people. The incident killed 7 people and injured 48. British police opened fire and killed three attackers 8 minutes after receiving the first call.

This is the third attack in the UK in less than three months and comes just days before the UK holds elections. The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack but did not provide specific evidence.

Developments of the car crash and stabbing terrorist attack in the UK

According to VNE