Terrorists strike London

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from The Washington Post articles "Attacks bear earmarks of evolving al Qaeda" and "Death toll from London blast rises" and The New York Times article "London toll is raised above 50; Police vow broad investigation". Silver Chips Online posts these news summaries to provide readers with a forum for discussion.

Bombs exploded at four different points in London, England during the morning rush hour on July 7. At least 50 people were killed in the explosions and 700 were injured, according to The Washington Post.

Explosives were placed on three separate subway trains and one double-decker bus, reported The New York Times. The lead suspect in the case is al Qaeda because of the carefully planned timing of the four explosions and targets which would cause maximum disruption and devastation in the lives of British citizens.

British investigators believed they could safely rule out the Irish Republican Army (IRA) as the assailant. The IRA usually gives advanced warning of its attacks. However, police received no warning prior to the explosions, which is generally a characteristic of al Qaeda, according to The Post.

On an internet posting, an organization called the Secret Group, part of al Qaeda's jihad, took responsibility for the attacks and said they were to punish Britain for getting involved with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, reported The New York Times. However, this claim has not yet been confirmed by investigators.

British police have begun a massive investigation of the three subway cars and the bus by collecting pieces of the explosives at every attacked site and going through the videotapes from security cameras around London, reported The Post.